Monochrome Memories
by TellThemNaegi
Summary: Back then, Makoto didn't think that trading away only five coins would reward him with a lifetime of memories. (Part three of Spotlight series)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is the third part in the Spotlight series. The second chapter of this story will be extended compared to the original and include a new scenario.**

* * *

Makoto wiped the sweat from his forehead away, his fingers pressing down on the hose's trigger. The cord extending to the other side of the brightly-lit greenhouse, coiling around many flower stations.

His cardigan was sprawled atop the desk near the door, leaving him in a loose, white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up as he sprayed the bed of flowers with cold water.

"Why were you late today?" The gardening club advisor/biology teacher crept over.

"Sorry, I slept through the bell." He scratched his cheek. He might've been even later if his friends hadn't woken him minutes after.

The mix of water and lighting gave the hybrid flowers a proud sheen.

"The roses are beautiful. It's all thanks to your diligence." The instructor praised. Makoto dropped by every afternoon to tend to the flowers. It'd been his first experience with gardening and gave his best efforts to nurture them. The roses would wither otherwise.

"Thank you."

* * *

Makoto left the grounds of Dusk High. White clouds of air formed with every breath. He tightly wrapping his scarf around his neck as he trudged through the cold.

He took the scenic route to his house, crossing paths with the arcade he ventured to from middle school. The exterior's vibrant decorations a sharp contrast to the dull gray skies.

Once inside, he made his way over to that old fighting game, seeing a spot open. Makoto's fingers tapping and moved the controls, stopping when his opponent's health bar declined.

YOU WIN - appeared on the screen. Although Makoto didn't feel like much of a winner.

Roughly one hour after entering, he procured his cellphone.

No calls.

No messages.

He pocketed the device, leaving the arcade and stepping back into a monochrome world.

* * *

"Big bro~." Komaru waltzed into his room, wearing a sailor uniform. He'd compliment, but as her older brother, he knew any praises he gave would be thrown back in his face.

"Please knock." What if he was doing guy things and she walked in? They'd both be scarred for life.

"How was school?" She asked, grinning widely as she skipped over, hands folded behind her back.

Makoto tore his eyes from the book he was reading. "Okay, I guess…What's up?" He grinned.

"_Nothing~_"

"Haha. You're starting to creep me out…and what're you hiding?"

"You wanna know, don't you? _Don't you?"_

_"Maybe_ or maybe not."

Komaru huffed, feigning indignation. "Be that way, I'll just keep these backstage passes to Sayaka's concert to myself."

He shot up from the bed, slipping on the smooth floor, resulting in him tripping over and falling.

Komaru observed the spectacle with shaking shoulders, covering her mouth in a vain attempt to hide laughter.

Makoto scrambled to his feet, brushing away the embarrassment. "H-How'd you get those?"

"I found them in my mail. Sayaka-chan sent them!"

Makoto spluttered, having heard none of this…More importantly. "Why was it mailed _to you_?"

Komaru giggled. "Jealous?"

"…A little." He admitted.

"Don't be. She just wanted to mess with you."

"You think?" That sounded like her… "Hold on. How would you know?"

"Sayaka and I talk all the time. She told me just last week." Komaru scratched her cheek, guiltily.

"News to me."

* * *

Makoto stood side by side with his sister, along tens of thousand others who occupied the stadium. All raving over the idol group of 5 on stage. Makoto particular was focused on one. The blue-haired girl taking center in the formation. Her voice was simply _magical._

Both he and Komaru secured spots not too far off the front row and waved multi-colored light sticks, the idol's name written on their shirts.

It was the first time he'd seen or heard from her for nearly a year, without a filter from a cell phone. But this was Sayaka Maizono, the idol, who sprinkled her heart to the millions of fans, not him alone. He was a drop in the sea of adoring fans.

_You're always far away, smiling with someone else. All I can do is look on from over here_

Makoto didn't think the resumption of his ordinary days could have been so monotonous. He missed the excitement, craved the warmth that came with being by her side. Makoto tried his hardest not to let it show in their calls.

For an instant, he'd thought Sayaka had looked straight at him. He quickly dismissed the optimism as unrealistic. In the middle of her song and dance, she wouldn't have spotted him in this crowd.

_Look at me, painted in your colors. Are you trying to fool me by pretending not to notice? The nerve!_

"Big bro, where's your spirit?" Komaru said in a mentor-like voice. Their rankings when it came to Sayakers was the only time where the girl asserted her role as his senior.

"I'm not feeling so good. I'll be in the washroom for a bit." Makoto said, quickly turning to the side, maneuvering through the seats.

"A stomach ache?" Komaru tilted her head, watching her brother leave.

* * *

"This isn't like me at all." Makoto at his reflection in the mirror, divorced from his usual cheer.

Despite wanting to support Sayaka…he was in here, _hiding away_. "How can I be so selfish?" He clawed at his hair in frustration, forgetting his surroundings.

He looked around to see another man giving him odd looks, speeding up his business and exiting the washroom.

Makoto sighed. "I'm a mess."

_'Now…I can't imagine a life without you in it. If that's not love, I'm scared to think what it'd really feel like.'_

He understood just how heavy the words she spoke were now. He loved Sayaka. That was a fact.

"You never know what you have until it's gone." Fortunately, he hadn't lost Sayaka yet. "I'll let her know exactly how I feel."

He'd be able to meet her with his backstage passes. They wouldn't get to be alone, but it would be something. He'd find some way to get his message across to her.

Someone at the entrance to the concert hall caught his eye. A girl, looking no older than age 10. Arguably not old enough to be here, alone anyway.

He'd seen her on the way over and didn't expect to see her on the way back, just staring at the screen recording the live performance.

"Aren't you going inside? It's a lot more fun in there." Makoto approached.

The girl's scarlet hair swayed as her eyes met his. "I can't." She spoke in a heavy accent, standoffishly.

Makoto ticked his eyebrow "There should be enough seats for everyone." He'd heard the concert was sold-out, but there should still be seats available for those who paid…

The girl's appearance was…not the cleanest. The fabric of her sweater was worn, and her boots were mismatched.

"Are your folks around at least?"

"What's it to you? You gonna call security? I already paid the guy at the stand, up front, so leave me alone."

Makoto flinched at the raw antagonism. What a mouth for a kid.…"'Up front?' How much did that cost?"

"All my savings. About a hundred." She replied.

Makoto deadpanned. The costs for Sayaka concerts usually cost the Naegi siblings months of rigorous savings, with financial assistance from their parents. She would need 10x that amount to have gotten in. Not like that would be possible. The concert had been sold out prior.

The ticket handler must have felt sorry for her.

Makoto shook his head. "I'm not going to rat on you. You deserve to be here as much as I do."

She looked at him strangely. "You're the guy from earlier…why are you out here for? Got bad seats?"

"No, I'm near the front." Makoto said. The girl's confusion evolved into befuddlement, with a side of outrage.

"The heck are you out here for?"

"Ah I'm…feeling a little conflicted, is all." He laughed.

She cocked her head. "Sounds dumb. Sayaka's music should blow that crap all away."

"You're a fan, I see." That much was obvious in retrospect, who'd be here if they weren't?

"Not just any fan. I'm her biggest, number one fan."

Heard that one before.

"My little sister wouldn't take that boast lying down." Makoto scratched his cheek. "She's been a Sayaker since day one. We've even attended all her performances."

The girl's lips curled into a frown. "Stop looking down on me, dumb-looking rich boy." She nailed him in the stomach with a light punch. He barely felt it…perhaps for a lack of trying or…she was just super weak.

Not like he had a right to talk.

She returned her gaze to the monitor. Makoto joined standing at her side. "My name's Makoto. Makoto Naegi."

"Sakura Minami." She replied.

"Minami-chan."

She stopped him with a raised hand. "Call me Sakura and skip the honorifics. Hearing my family name pisses me off."

He shrugged, been here, done that. "…Then call me Makoto."

"I'll call you whatever I want."

_I can't let things end like this, unfinished. Can't let my guard down, gotta strengthen my resolve Ready…go!'_

Sayaka's voice continued to blare across every hall in the stadium.

Makoto nodded, just as he was about to walk away "Oi. Don't like the music?" He stopped, surprised to see the girl initiate a conversation.

"Wouldn't be here if I felt that way. Everyone in that group are incredibly talented." He said.

She crossed her arms. "If you get it, what're you all mopey for? It's gettin' on my nerves."

Makoto took a shot in the dark. "You're really dedicated. I'm sure Sayaka'd be happy to know she's got a fan like you."

Sakura nodded. "She's what I want to be some day."

Now there's a thought. "What do you like about her?"

"She's perfect! Her figure, her voice, her success and her smile." Sakura ran down a laundry list. "She's like a real-life princess."

Makoto choked at the praise, letting out a giggle.

"Somethin' funny?" Sakura glared.

"Well yeah, Sayaka's not _perfect_. She's got a ton of flaws."

With utter disbelief, Sakura asked "Like?"

"She's head strong." Never backing down once she sets her mind on something. "She goes the extra-mile for everything." Doesn't know how to relax and move at a steady pace. "And if she's after something, she'd move the whole world to get it." Often failing to think of the consequences or whether she could get hurt.

…

"Amazing." Sakura glowed, a giant smile on her face. "I knew it!"

Not the reaction he was going for.

"I…those were supposed to be her bad points." Makoto scratched his hair at the lack of attention the girl was paying.

"How'd ya know all that?" She so wasn't listening anymore. Rose-tinted glasses were some crazy stuff.

"Sayaka's my….friend. My friend." He smiled on the outside, sulked on the inside.

Sakura giggled, then burst out laughing. "Yeah and I'm an Ultimate."

Makoto held out his pass in front of girl. "Not sure if this counts as proof, but she let my sister and I have backstage passes."

The redhead's eyes widened as she read the inscriptions. "No way." She mouthed, holding the pass in her small hands. "Y-You can't just flash that in public, what if you get robbed?!"

Makoto rubbed his chin. "That's a possibility, but I don't think you'd do that."

"Says who?"

Makoto smiled. "You paid your way in here, the right way, using money you worked hard to save. You're a good girl." Rough on the edges though. He'd pat her head if he didn't think she'd bite him.

Sakura scrunched her face, looking at the floor. "You're an idiot for believin' that. Naïve guys like you are the ones who get taken advantage of and tossed away, y'know?"

"Naïve huh?" He laughed, finding that hard to disagree with. "You're really mature for your age."

"Only because I can't stay a dumb kid, I need to get smarter, so I can grow up as fast and leave home." She gripped her skirt. "I want to be an idol too."

Makoto's smile widened "I knew it, you are a good kid. Even I don't have that kind of determination. You remind me of Sayaka in a way."

"How?" Sakura lifted her head, peering with innocent wonder.

He pointed to the screen "Sayaka's giving it 120% out there. For her fans, sure, but also for herself. Sayaka works harder than anyone else to keep her dream alive. Even if she has to make sacrifices along the way." Or in his case - _Hopefully in his case_ \- takes extraordinary risks she doesn't have to. "I don't think a number one fan could cheat her efforts by sneaking in for free."

The girl nodded slowly, mouthing an apology before shoving his pass back to him. "You're still a dummy. You're lucky I don't pick on guys like that."

"Yeah, that about covers it. I'm just a lovestruck idiot." He chuckled.

_There, now it's finished. I deliver it to you. When it comes to you, I really, truly... love you!_

"Why aren't you in there cheering like everyone else? You're a shitty friend for skimping out on her 'efforts'."

"You're right there. Okay, we're off." Makoto stood up.

"…What'd you mean 'we'?"

"Both of us. If you aren't with anyone else, why not come sit with me and my sister? She won't mind."

"C-Can I?"

"I'm the one offering." He said.

She nodded rapidly.

* * *

Komaru looked ready to mouth off at him for disappearing for so long, holding off when Sakura came into view. "Who's this?"

"Sakura. You don't mind if she stays with us, do you?" Makoto patted the girl's back, pushing her in front.

Komaru gave him an exasperated look that said _'You picked up another stray'_ but voiced no dissent. "Have one of these, Sakura-chan." Komaru handed off a glow stick for their new acquaintance to wave around like a toy.

He joined the girls, trying to match their enthusiasm, he couldn't get rid of those ugly emotions but for now? They could take a backseat.

"Thank you everyone! We've got something special planned for one lucky fan!" Sayaka's voice boomed. A surprise awaited them, where the idols announced that one out of the hundreds of thousands would win the chance to join the group on stage and sing.

"Woah." Komaru waved her arms,

Makoto winced. What a stunt. That'd give anyone crippling anxiety-"Seat number 075! Get up here!"

…

"…!" Makoto looked down at his ticket number and froze.

"So close! I'm 074…" Komaru gasped, head snapping to him. "Bro…are you?"

"S-She can't be serious. Sayaka wouldn't-" Makoto paused, recalling the various pranks she pulled. But this was on a completely different scale.

It had to be coincidence…but did it matter at this point? The stage light that focused on him said no

Fuck.

"Get goin', pansy!" Sakura stepped on his shoes, giving him the kickstart he needed.

"T-Thanks." Makoto muttered, as the light followed him, as did the countless stares. He steeled his nerves. This wasn't much different from school or graduation, where being seen with the most popular girl in school drew a lot of attention his way. Sure, there was a bit of a size difference when comparing crowds and…he would be doing more than dancing this time, but the principle was the same.

Keep calm, focused and try not to piss yourself – With that sage wisdom in mind, Makoto'd made it up the steps, standing in front of Sayaka, the idol. Not his girlfriend. Was she even still his girlfriend?

That important distinction was wordlessly communicated between them when she passed him the microphone.

"Give it up for Naegi-kun everyone!" Sayaka's detached introduction inspired a chorus of applause and cheer. "You remember all my songs right, Number 2-san." She whispered lowly enough for him to hear. Between hers and the teasing smiles from the other girls, Makoto tossed out the possibility of his presence there as a coincidence.

They'd planned this _somehow_.

And that meant they were either insane…or had a boatload of faith in him to not mess this up. Or it just didn't matter either way…

Makoto resigned himself to this next level prank, facing the audience, waiting in anticipation. It hit him like a ton of bricks; fear and excitation welling up within. Leading the cheer squad didn't even compare.

_"Let's start with our newest single!"_

Oh, Monochrome Answer then. Makoto memorized the lyrics after a few…dozen or so listens. Only…was that really a song fit for a guy?

He sighed internally.

_'All I can do…is give it my all.' _

His mouth moved.**_ "Without deciding where to meet tomorrow, we said 'goodbye'." _**He was started by the roar of his own voice, amplified by the mic. But not as much as it did the audience, unprepared for the husky voice that came from the small, unknown package.

_"Even when taking a bath, I'm still fidgety, My heart beats, maybe I should call you instead of waiting." _Sayaka joined in, contrasting Makoto's delivery with a honeyed pitch.

**"Finally your voice comes in, muttering something and 'Good morning'."**

They were busier than ever. Sayaka with her work, and Makoto with whatever he could find to take his mind off loneliness. But when either did call, be it casual conversation, advice or just to listen to each other's daily issues, the sound of the other's voce instantly brightened their day.

_"I'm ready and preparations are OK. But bad luck, an accident occurs. The red teacup that I loved with lemon tea inside, dives onto my skirt."_

Sayaka singing up close jogged Makoto's memory the tea she liked to the point of obsession, but could never make perfectly, spilled over her skirt once. If he recalled correctly, his reaction was…

**"'Sorry…' Towards the late me you said, 'You tried a lot' and patted my head. Thank you."**

Both smiled, intoxicated in their private memories.

_"Monochrome love is inside you and me. Even the difference in temperature feels lovely Monochrome sight, I'm sure I'm the only one colorful,_ I like the uncertain parts too."

They lived in different worlds, revering the other as their ideal. But opposites attract and were complete together.

**_"Monochrome people like the two of us might look distant but in reality we're the closest, Monochromatic dreams will be in rainbow colors if I'm with you."_**

The duet sparked uproarious cheers from the audience. The level of synchronicity was high enough to leave the impression that the performance had been staged and rehearsed prior. A logic mostly discouraged because Makoto was an unknown talent who'd ascended to the stage with a voice that left them swooning.

Komaru, who knew better yelled at the top of her lungs, both proud and envious of her brother. Sakura watched the duo in awe, starstruck that this was the same boy she'd spoken brashly to.

**_"If I'm with you, Monochrome dreams will be in rainbow colors. Monochrome future, no full color- If we're together, we can sparkle. If we melt into monochrome street, it'll become colorful."_**

Makoto and Sayaka traded stares, making a silent promise, to the future where they could be together without status, secrets or pretenses getting in the way.

* * *

Makoto's back faced the wall of a local fast food place, sending Komaru a text detailing his location.

He tightened his scarf to protect himself from the cold, a cloud of vapor formed with every exhale from his dry, scratchy throat.

What was the spiky-haired boy doing loitering on a snowy night, in a city far from home, hours after giving the performance of his life?

Well…

"_Makoto, that was incredible!" Komaru hugged him after the concert._

_"Y-You think? I didn't screw up did I, Sakura?!" He hyperactively addressed the girl, who only replied with a thumbs up._

_"Oh Oh! We should get going backstage. Sayaka-chan and the others are waiting!" Komaru declared._

_Makoto scratched his cheek, eyes lidded. "About that…" He took off his pass, hanging it by the strap in front of his new friend. "How about you go with Sakura instead?"_

_""What?!"" They looked at him like he'd grown two extra heads._

_"I dunno know what your game is, but I'm no charity case." The girl rejected his offer._

_"Didn't you say you wanted to become an idol? You shouldn't pass up this chance on my account." Makoto placed the strap over the girl's neck. "As for me, I can see Sayaka any time I want." He was a poor liar but the two weren't acquainted long enough for her to see that. Komaru on the other hand…_

_"Big bro…you haven't been your usual self after Sayaka left. Are you sure about this?"_

_"Positive." Makoto nodded. "And…before you think it, I'm not taking your backstage pass either. I may not be the most reliable older brother ever, but I'm not leaving you outside by yourself."_

_"Are you nuts? As if I'd even think about giving my holy grail to anyone." She clutched her pass._

_"Guess stupidity doesn't run in the family." Sakura muttered._

_Makoto rubbed the girl's head. "I'm sure something good will happen if you meet the girls. Think of it as a gift from me."_

_"…Thank you." She showed him a bright smile. That made it all worth the sacrifice._

_"You can thank me after you become famous."_

And that's all she wrote, folks.

Makoto whistled to the tune of the music he'd sang earlier.

"It really is him!" yelled a voice. Not 10 seconds later, Makoto found himself ambushed by two girls, taller and older than he was. Was it too late to say he was getting self-conscious of his height? "You're Naegi-san, aren't you?"

He bobbed his head, slightly confused at why they were so giddy…or who they were, frankly. "That's me….I'm sorry but do I know you?"

"We were at the concert and saw your performance." "You're amazing!"

Makoto raked his fingers through his hair, laughing timidly at the flattery. "I-I'm really glad you were entertained. T-They really put me on the spot there, so I dunno if I sucked without any practice."

"Then it really wasn't staged?" "So Cool." They cheered. Makoto had never been fawned over and had no way to deal with it.

_'I wonder if this is how Sayaka feels.'_

'"Thanks. That means a lot." He grinned, bashfully, blushing out of nervousness.

The girls giggled.

Just as Makoto was about ask why, he coughed harshly.

"Are you okay?" One of the girls expressed concern in an overly cute way.

"My throat's a little hoarse." A consequence of overtaxing his vocal chords.

They looked to each other, then turned back to Makoto. "It _is_ cold out here. You should come with us!" "Yeah, we'll be going somewhere a _lot_ warmer."

Makoto let out a relieved smile. "…Sure. Where?" It was always better to have company, definitely beat sticking around here in the cold alone. There was a matter of giving Komaru coordinates, so he hoped they weren't going too far.

An arm snaked around Makoto's waist, pulling him backwards into the owner's chest. The unexpected contact had Makoto snapping his head over to see…Sayaka?! In the same 'Yuki' disguise as when they'd first met at the arcade.

"Yuki-san?!" He'd nearly called her real name by mistake. He also noticed she got taller, her height exceeding his by a bit. S/he looked down on him with cocky, snide grin that Makoto could tell was fake.

"Yo, sorry I kept you waiting." Her voice lower than normal, keeping up the boyish charade. Before Makoto could ask what the heck she was talking about, Sayaka silenced him with a long, drawn out kiss. "Sorry ladies, as you can see, this little guy's taken." Leaving Makoto speechless, she turned to the amazed onlookers as if there hadn't been a thing amiss with that blatant display of possessiveness. Without sparing another word, the idol dragged Makoto away by the arm.

"*giggles*." "Aw. Too bad."

* * *

Sayaka unhanded him after they strayed from the women, calling for a taxi to take them to her home, a condo in the middle of the city. Neither had said a word on the way, as to not jeopardize the bluenette's identity. Which is why the first thing Makoto asked once they entered the complex was about Komaru's whereabouts.

"She went home." Sayaka said plainly.

"Without me?!" Makoto's eyes widened in disbelief

"I said you'd spend the night with me. It should be fine." Sayaka removed her hat, letting her hair fall, then stripped off her winter wear.

"Oh…thanks." Makoto did the same, hanging his scarf and blazer on the rack, leaving him with his green sweater. "Is your dad around?"

"Not tonight."

All those straight and to the point answers…were unlike the girl. "Are you…angry?"

Sayaka shot him a cold look, taking several pronounced steps towards him, cornering Makoto against the wall. "You weren't there." Both the idol's arms were on separate sides of his body, caging him with nowhere to run.

But as far as he was concerned, she was too close. His eyes trained on her lips. If he just inched forward, he could-

"After the strings I pulled to get you in, you ditched me to run off with some random girls to _screw around with_?!"

Makoto frowned at the choice of words. "_They were at the concert._ I'm guessing they wanted to talk about my singing."

"Oh they wanted to make you _sing_ alright…You're way too defenseless." Sayaka shook her head, to Makoto's confusion. "You know how much I was looking forward to seeing you again."

"We saw each other plenty on stage."

Sayaka flinched, her anger retracting. Her arms fell to the side as she muttered excuses. "That…wasn't _totally_ my idea. The girls planned that. They figured out we were dating."

"Isn't that bad?" Makoto worried.

"Not…_really_? It might have been if my manager found out or they thought you were a problem, but the girls liked you remember?"

He remembered they liked messing with him…but then again? Who doesn't?

"That's when we settled on a compromise. They'd look the other way if you passed a test. There were a bunch to choose from… you know how I get carried awa …"

"Don't worry about it. It was fun…doing something _that_ crazy." It was an experience unbefitting the dull Makoto Naegi. One he wouldn't forget anytime soon. One that still made his heart pump faster as he recalled the crowd chanting his name and the insane thrill that came from standing in the spotlight.

"Oh thank god, I feel so much better about it now. Though looking back, I'm sure the girls were trolling me and found out earlier." Sayaka sighed

"So your secret's safe?"

"Duh, they're my childhood friends…and don't you mean '_our' secret_?" Sayaka winked flirtatiously, her delicate fingers cupping his jaw as she yanked him into a kiss.

That was a bad idea – Makoto realized as his self-control slipped away at the taste of lipstick. His hands wrap tightly around her slender waist, pressing their bodies closer together. Makoto usurped Sayaka's role as the dominant one in their romantic exchanges.

Her expectations flew out the window when Makoto's tongue snuck in the hungry kiss and wrestled against hers.

Sayaka pulled back – or tried to – only to be roped back in when Makoto's fingers found the back of her head.

"M-Makoto?" She called out his name, intimidated by how Makoto's usual clear orbs had glazed over.

Rather than reply, the boy ventured to do the unexpected. His lips moved down to her neck, nibbling, sucking and then biting the nape. "Not there-aaah!" She voiced, breathless.

"S-Stop, wait just a minute!" Sayaka gripped Makoto's shoulders tightly, separating the two. She took a quick look, noting the purple bruise on her skin. _That_ could cause problems if discovered. Makoto knew that and he still…

"What's gotten into you?"

He let out a low growl that made the idol shudder. "I missed you a lot a-and I was _trying_ to hold back, but _you_ keep teasing me and..." It hardly needed saying at this point. "I love you."

Her sapphire eyes shimmered. "…Say that again."

"I love you."

A switch flipped in the idol. "Geez, _that's_ what's got you so hot and bothered?" Her tone was almost condescending, _experienced_. Their lips smacked again, Sayaka drooling into the kiss, shamelessly pushing and rubbing against Makoto's thigh.

Makoto hadn't been a good kisser at first. He was inexperienced, awkward, but diligent, attentive and most of all, eager. All of which paid off in spades right now.

"You…you haven't been playing with other girls, have you?" Sayaka joked. Makoto wouldn't cheat, couldn't cheat. It wasn't in his nature "Kidding. You've gotten a lot better."

It wasn't like him to be so assertive or selfish, it went to show how far he'd been pushed. She didn't mind when he gave her another hickey. This was his reward for being so patient. So understanding.

"My room."

* * *

Makoto sits on the edge of the bed. Sayaka kneels between his legs, lifting his shirt overhead and haphazardly tosses the cloth to the floor, revealing his pale upper body. On the long list of features that made him self-conscious, his lack of muscle definition ranked near the top.

Sayaka claimed to prefer him as he was, that his thin, slender frame was "Cute. Just like the rest of you." She trails slow kisses from his neck down his torso, stopping at the hem of his pants. They didn't stay on for much longer after Sayaka dragged them off, leaving only his white boxer shorts.

"Leave that on." Sayaka's hands gently smack his, preventing him from taking off that final layer. With a coy smile, she said "Trust me, you'll love this."

Her delicate fingers slide up the hardened shaft, evoking a soft moan from the boy. Satisfied with his cute reaction, she lowers her head, her lips wrapping around the clothed tip, playing with it before taking the shaft in her mouth. With every lick, suck and tease, Makoto feels driven further into delirium.

"S-Sayaka, hold on." The idol stopped working his shaft at the guttural command, staring up at him. While Makoto was sure direct contact with her lips was best, the constraints of the fabric was too much. "Y-You don't have to dirty yourself…"

"That ship's long sailed, Makoto. Besides, I'm not an idol right now, I'm your girlfriend and I want this. " Sayaka declares, her voice as gentle as it was uncompromising. She grips at the waistband and pulls it down. His veiny flesh springs open. "Maybe not cute _everywhere_…" She redacted her earlier claim. "What happened to being average?" She smirks.

"I-It's not like I have anything to compare it to." He turns new shades of the color red.

"No, Makoto. There's nothing to be sorry for. Not about this." Sayaka said, admiring and stroking the oversized dick. Just as her fingers traced the naked flesh, she was stopped by Makoto's hands on her shoulders, a reversal of their earlier position

"You don't want me to?" Sayaka blinks.

"I do, but…I-I'll _blow_."

She giggles. "That's what I'm aiming for?"

"Not yet." He pouts

Sayaka lets out an amused sigh. "Boys and their ego." She stands, stripping down from her shirt and jeans. She sits on Makoto's lap, wrapping her legs around his torso. The only barrier left between their sexes are pink cotton panties. Not like there was any room left for modesty. Sayaka unclips her bra, perky breasts spilling out directly onto Makoto's face, giving him an eyeful of her curves and near flawless skin. _Nearly_, thanks to the hickey he'd left on her neck – The thought only making Makoto grow harder. One hand gripped her breast and the other fell to her fleshy rear.

_…I can't even cover it all._

He plays with them, his fingers flicking her hardening nipples.

Sayaka hisses.

"D-Did that hurt?" Makoto asked, concerned.

Sayaka cut off his retreat by grabbing his wrists.

'That answers that.' He applies pressure on his massage on both her assets. Daring, Makoto inched forward, his teeth circling around her nipples and biting down lightly.

Sayaka's moans intensify. She wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, while her hips swayed frustratingly on his crotch. In astounding irony, it took his hormones being pushed to the limit Makoto to regain enough self-control to recall one crucial element. "D-Do we have any condoms?"

Judging from the fright in Sayaka's widening eyes, she'd forgotten too. "Do you?"

"No." The mood killer hung over their heads. Makoto nearly voiced they stop here.

"It'll be fine. Just pull out early." Sayaka said to his surprise.

He shook his head. "It's dangerous. Who knows what could happen?" They did, but he was too frisky to even think about a pregnancy scare. They'd both be in deep shit. Sayaka mostly.

"Makoto…_I want this_." Sayaka repeated, much more intensely than the first. The sheer need she conveyed threw him over the edge again.

"Okay." He hadn't put up much of a fight. He didn't want to.

Sayaka rewards his permissiveness with a chaste kiss.

Makoto let out a shocked grunt when her hands pressed against his chest and pushed him down onto the bed. She crouches over him. Her fingers tug at her panties, pulling them aside to hang by her leg. Makoto breathed out as he felt her ass slam against his hips, the lust-filled idol grinding his dick and her leaking slit together.

Just a little more and he could…

He catches Sayaka's menacing smirk. She'd read him and his less than clean intentions clearly.

She pushes back a lock of blue hair, leaning down to whisper by his ear. "Hey, Makoto. What'll we be doing next, I wonder?" An absurd question given what _she was doing right now._

"Y-You know." Wasn't that obvious?!

"I don't, we've…had misunderstandings…before." Sayaka shudders at the sound of her own voice and anticipation. Teasing was fine, but also a double-edged sword that could easily backfire.

"W-Weren't you the one raring to go at it?" He blanks when Sayaka lifted her hips, grasping his dick with both hands, then lowered herself until the tip just touched her pussy. "If you don't tell me I won't know." Sayaka looks straight in his eyes with un-suppressed enjoyment, drool leaking from her mouth. "Come on…show me how much you want me."

Makoto's response was non-verbal; he grabbed her waist and pulled her straight down onto his dick.

"Oh _Fuck." _Sayaka threw her head back and howled profanities. His inexperience, the teasing, the moaning and most of all, the tightness overloaded Makoto. He came right inside her depths after a single, well-aimed thrust. Sayaka felt his softening cock, falling onto his chest. "You didn't pull out."

"Your fault." He pouts.

"Yours too. It was payback for how long you made me wait for this. Don't think I'll let you tap out now either." She slides off him, getting back in between his legs, head bobbing as she took him in her mouth. Meanwhile, her fingers settled on Makoto's nipples, twisting them.

"Oh shit." The boy spluttered a rare curse

Sayaka arched an eyebrow at the sensitive response, but otherwise said nothing, her mouth too full for that.

"Sayaka…" Makoto chants her name at the feeling of her warm, wet mouth engulfing his rod. He rakes those blue tresses and bucked his hips upwards. Soon enough, he came again, filling the idol's mouth.

Sayaka spits out the fluid. "Bitter." She crinkled her nose. Her smile returned when she saw he was still hard. "Quick to recover."

Makoto grabs Sayaka and overturns their position on the bed, pining his girlfriend under him.

"Go for it." Sayaka goads him with a teasing smile. He wastes no time drilling his tip in as far as he could reach. Sayaka mutters praises, which a part of him hoped were genuine. The other parts were reeling from how fucking great it felt inside her. Makoto delays his thrusts as he reels back his thoughts, wanting to at least make her orgasm this time.

The pair stare longingly into each other's eyes. While his cock felt absolutely amazing inside her, what Sayaka delighted in most was his smouldering gaze, overtaken by lust. Every expression he made magnified the pleasure considerably.

Sayaka wraps her hands over his neck. "You don't have to hold back. Just enjoy yourself~" He wasn't about to refuse. He started moving his hips.

"Shit, right there. A little more and I'll-…." Sayaka's voice alternates between whispers and yells. His thrusts were fast, rough and uncontrolled but she squealed all the same. Sayaka swearing wasn't _new_ to him, but never this needy and desperate. It was such a turn-on!

He closed one eye at Sayaka's moans, her mewling sending shocks throughout his body, pushing him faster to orgasm. He focused on her full lips and leaned in to make out with her, muffling her continued gasps as he sped up his thrusts.

His hips were on fire and sure enough Sayaka's tight walls clamp down on him. She screamed into the kiss, triggering his own eruption. He kept up his slow thrusts even as he came, the two basking in the afterglow of their love-making.

Makoto shifted slightly to the side, eye-level with Sayaka in a close, sweaty embrace.

"That felt…so good, Makoto." She said.

"R-Really. I wasn't sure what to do." He replied, out of breath.

"You've got a lot of energy to make up for it." Sayaka quit ruffling his hair to look at her palm, frowning. "I'm sweaty and didn't have a chance to take a bath after the concert. You mind?"

He blinked. Mind what? "Course not, it's your place. But um… I'm not much better…can I go in after you?"

…

"…Nope, I'm not even surprised at this point." Sayaka rolled her eyes. "I was _inviting_ you to join me."

"O-Oh, sorry, my brain hasn't quite turned back on yet."

"Uhuh" Sayaka was unconvinced.

* * *

"This is so nice." Sayaka melted in the bath, her hair tied up. She leaned backwards against Makoto's chest, his arms circling her torso.

"Yeah it is." The boy agreed. Between the warmth of the hot water, Sayaka's soft skin pressed against him and the smell of scented shampoo, he could have fallen asleep peacefully right there. "I've probably said this a million times, but I can't believe I'm in this situation."

"_I _can't believe you're still shy."

"S-Shouldn't I be? I've never taken a bath with a girl before, not counting my sister." He stammers, then reflects on his sister. "How was Komaru, by the way?"

"Cute as always. I wish she was my little sister." Sayaka sighs, dreamily.

"Sorry, already called dibs."

She snickers. "I wouldn't be so confident. There's still one method I can use to steal her away."

"What's that?" He inquired.

"Not telling. It's a secret between us girls."

"Nice to see you're getting along." When drowsiness overtook Makoto, he leaned forward, resting his head on Sayaka's shoulder. Her melodious hums nearly carried him to sleep. It didn't last long however. Sayaka moved away, then turned over, facing him. Her curves barely obscured by the water.

"Komaru mentioned a few things when we were alone. What's this about you being unhappy?"

Makoto felt a pang of guilt spreading across his features. "…Sorry. I missed you, a lot. I didn't tell you how much because I didn't want to distract you from work."

Sayaka looked over him, an unreadable expression on her face. "You're too much, Makoto. Apologizing when you did nothing wrong." She pecked his lips. "And I've kind of noticed you really like kissing."

He blushed. "I…uh, don't really know what came over me. I'm not usually so…"

"Aggressive?" Sayaka flashed a grin. "You showed off to thousands of people, Makoto. You're on a high, happens to me every time I get on stage for my fans…speaking of which, Minami-chan was so adorable, so polite!"

Makoto furrowed his eyebrows. "Polite?"

"Yeah, especially with how she tried hiding her accent or stumbled over to correct herself! It was beyond cute."

Makoto smiled. "I was a worried you might have been too disappointed she wasn't me."

"Don't get me wrong, I was." He stiffened at the monotone remark. "But Minami-chan was…interesting. I've spoken with a lot of my fans, too much that it's tough to remember _all_ the faces and names, sadly. There's variety but a certain kind always leave an impression; one that I can't forget even if I tried. Care to guess who they are?"

Sayaka was the most popular girl in the country, he wasn't naïve enough to assume all the attention she received was good. "The creeps?"

"Close, but no. I make an active attempt to not keep them in mind."

He felt a bit relieved at her response. It probably meant the answer was something positive. "Um…the overzealous fans like my sister?"

Sayaka laughed. "That's cheating. Komaru-chan is a one-of-kind. You are too, naturally." She cupped his jaw and gave him a chaste kiss.

Makoto shook his head when they parted. "I can't think...of anything else."

Sayaka giggled. "It's fine. It a bit of a trick question you got right in a way. The answer is 'people like _you'_."

Makoto pointed at himself.

She nodded.

That…that made sense! "Of course! I-I mean I hope I left an impression, s-since I do like you, a lot. A-And we are pretty close. Sakura probably thinks the same way about you, maybe not romantically but-"

Sayaka interrupted his rambling by holding her finger against his lips.

"I knew you wouldn't understand. The trick. I mean the person I thought you were in the past."

"That feels like it was ages ago…" Makoto remembered their early days…hold on…"Didn't you…kind of…hate me?"

"The types that leave the biggest impressions are the threats to my career. Fans or otherwise." Sayaka said, her voice monotone. "Everyone wants to be famous. Kids who want to become pop stars are a dime-a-dozen, I won't shoot down their dreams, but I won't think much of it either. Not unless they know what they're getting into. Not unless they're prepared to get their hands dirty and go all the way. And if someone like that _did_ show, I'd immediately see them as a rival." The bluenette pursed her lips, her dark blue eyes were like a bottomless sea. "Sakura is a rival. If I'm correct and you _knew_ Sakura wanted to become an idol…why did you think it was a good idea to send her to me? Or…did you actually think I'd assist a threat just because she's a child who looks up to me?"

"Sure I did." Makoto replied instantly.

…

"How can you say that? You know what I'm like when I mean business!" Her voice rose slightly.

"I…was sure you'd see yourself in Sakura." Makoto replied with a timid smile, stunning his girlfriend. "You tell me about your childhood occasionally and, while talking to Sakura, she's similar to what I imagined you were like. That's why…I didn't even think about asking if you two got along."

"I don't think I've answered that yet."

"You _complimented_ her, Sayaka." Makoto's warm hands brushed against deep blue tresses. "I know you. The girl who loves her fans as much as they love her. You wouldn't turn down a girl you inspired. You're too responsible for that."

She bit on his collarbones.

"O-ow, w-why?"

"You're so tacky." Sayaka's voice was muffled, burying into his chest. "It might be rubbing off on me. I feel like an idiot, helping a rival." She blushed.

Makoto beamed at the confession. "That's not much of an issue for you. I don't think I'm alone in saying that you're the best. Even against Sakura, you won't lose." Even if she insists on being a not-so-good person, he believed in her.

His thoughts scattered, shocked as Sayaka resumed her biting.

"The best huh…" Before he asked, she answered, looking up at him. "Makoto…What if I quit being an idol, so we could be together, properly?"

"…Are you serious?" Makoto had to double-take, hardly believing those words. Her position in the idol industry meant everything to the girl. How could she think to give that up?

"I-I think I could it now. I've got you, I don't need validation from anyone else." Sayaka continued, shaking slightly.

"You'd be giving up what you love. I'm not going to be the reason you do that." Makoto replied.

"But we'd be free. No separation, no more putting up with hiding. Just the two of us as a couple, without worrying about stepping on any landmines …don't you want that?"

"I won't choose for you, Sayaka."

"But it's clear what you want." She snapped.

Makoto scratched his cheeks. He'd have to disagree with that. "Is it? I'm not sure how that can be when I don't know myself. Would I like for us to be a real couple? Of course, I would. But...the girl I love works harder than anyone else. She struggled to reach the top and is always thinking about what she can do to stay there, because that's where she belongs. On stage. That passion made me a fan from the start, and I'm sure it inspired many others like me to give their all doing what they love. Even if that idol's not totally the same in person, that part of her definitely wasn't fake. As her friend, her fan and her boyfriend, I'm not going to take that dream away."

"You're still going to get hurt." Her eyes fell

"I'll always bounce back. Positive thinking's my only outstanding trait."

"Stupid, more like."

"Come on, you've seen my grades. I'm average."

She sniffed, and after a time, gazed at him with renewed vigour. "Alright! If you're going to believe in me _that strongly_, then I definitely won't lose. Not just to Sakura, but to anyone else. I'll become the idol of the century. Everyone will be playing my songs 10 or 20 years from now!"

"That's what I like to hear." He laughed, patting her head.

"It better be…a-and you better not regret this after I gave you a chance." She said through rose-tinted cheeks.

"I won't."

"That means you're absolutely not allowed to break up with me either. For any reason!"

"We don't have to worry about that."

"I'll turn into one of those psycho girlfriends from Komaru-chan's manga!"

"Calm down. You're embarrassed." She always blurts out the weirdest things when she is.

Sayaka let out a heavy sigh then smiled. "Want to get out?"

"…Could you help me out with something first?"

Not 5 seconds later, Sayaka's face contorted to one of similar surprise, feeling Makoto's restored member poking her stomach. "Really?"

"I've uh...been trying to hide it." He responded, sheepishly.

"…Since when?"

"The first kiss."

Sayaka giggled. "Way to ruin your big speech." She was cut off by the phone ringing the edge of the bathroom counter. "I have to take this." She slipped out of the bath, giving him an enjoyable view.

"Sayaka speaking…Hi, Satomi. Oh that's great. You've been a big help. And yeah, I'm still going." Makoto saw her smile warp into uncertainty. "Makoto?" He perked up at the sound of his name. "I wouldn't know where he is-…fine, we'll be there." The bluenette dropped the call, frowning. "I'm starting to think _she's the physic_."

"Why was I mentioned?"

"That was Satomi. I asked her if she could drop Komaru off for me. It was a long way to your house, so I owe her a favor now…that she expects me to pay up front, apparently." Sayaka laughed, nervously.

"And that is?" He had a bad feeling about this.

"You'll be coming with me to her party tomorrow night."

* * *

Makoto accompanied Sayaka around the city, the following morning. Much like their visit to her hometown, the idol strongly always instructed he remain near her . He was more understanding this round. The area was bustling with people and populated by high-rises that attracted his eyes. He could easily see himself getting lost.

They stopped by a clothing store. As the succeeding events had been entirely out of his control, Makoto only had a single set of clothing…which wasn't qualified for the party later that evening, according to Sayaka.

"Parties aren't my scene. I'm not sure how to dress." He muttered.

"Leave it to me." His girlfriend assured him. She waded through the store with the efficiency of a computer. What would have taken minutes of observation for him, necessitated only a glance from Sayaka to see if a specific article of clothing suited him. If yes, she tossed it over for him to grab. If know, she'd move to the next piece, or the next aisle.

"These should do." Sayaka affirmed after guiding him to the change room stalls. "You know how to put them on, or do you need help?"

"They're only clothes, aren't they?" And how would she help?

"Heh." The celebrity smiled condescendingly. He'd understood why after his first attempt.

"By the way, did your parents say anything?"

"Yeah, they said I could stay the weekend…and that I'm grounded for the next month when I get back." Mainly for not giving them prior notice…like he could have?

When Makoto stepped out, Sayaka remarked that the accessories were all wrong and he'd failed to grasp the style. "I'll never talk bad about Miura-san again."

Sayaka giggled and sent him the next pair of clothes. "These should be easy enough."

Makoto took the clothing with him into the stall, plain white walls and a mirror were all that was in the small space. He properly analyzed the clothing. A black sleeveless jacket, a white-tee shirt and shredded pants. Not his usual style. He wondered how expensive they were too. Sayaka said she would pay for them, but he felt like giving her something as well. He saved up enough for one luxurious gift.

"Is it too hard, after all?" A silky voice called from behind. Makoto whips around to see Sayaka behind him.

"What are you doing?!" She covers his mouth, muffling his panicked pitch.

"Don't make a scene, I'm here to help." She claims.

"But you can't be in here!" He whispers.

"There aren't any cameras."

Makoto furrows his brows, searching the ceiling. There were no cameras.

He looks back to her with a perplexed expression

"Intuition." She answers, as if that alone would be enough.

"Does it work that way?"

"Yes."

Okay… "What should I do?"

"Strip."

He _stared_.

"If you're going to put new clothes on, you have to take the old ones _off_. Shocker, I know." She rolled her eyes.

"You're in here."

"It's not like I'll see anything I haven't already."

"That was one time. I'm…not used to it." He flushed, averting his eyes.

"One easy fix coming right up." She closed the gap between them, her hands reaching for the hem of his shirt. One hand pulled his shirt up from the outside, the other traced his torso and guided its removal from the inside. As soon as he's shirtless, she falls to her knees, unbuckling his belt and pulling his pants down. "There…wasn't that easy?" She shoots him a flirty smile.

Makoto hadn't even realized he'd held his breath for the entire transition. "You're incredible."

"Thanks for the compliment. Now let's get these on."

Makoto's absolutely stunned by the unabashed display of control from his girlfriend as she reverses her previous actions, putting his clothes on for him. In different circumstances, it might have been humiliating being treated like a child…but there was nothing childish or innocent about her touches. Whenever she could, she took liberties, grazing points in his body that incited his arousal or directly pressed up against him.

For the finishing touches, she strapped the choker onto his neck. "Turn around and see for yourself."

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, eyes widening a bit. He looked…good. Better than he ever did, with the combination of stylish clothing. The choker seemed a bit much though. "Can I-" His words died in his throat when he turned to see Sayaka bent over, hands against the door, her skirt hiked up, and black lace panties hanging down her thighs.

"Care to help me out, next?" She said, raptly staring back at him.

"This is insane." Makoto said, both hot and similarly spell bounded. Unable to bring up his usual counters.

"I've been crazy about you for a while, Makoto. I just have less of a reason to hold back now."

"This is my fault?" She makes it sound like I opened Pandora's Box.

"In a manner of speaking? Yes."

They were doing this, might as well enjoy it. With his zipper undone, he grabs the idol's hips, leaning over her. "T-try not to scream, or we're in deep trouble."

"Implying something there?"

He nods and spears deep into her, overwhelmed by the softness of his hips against her ass and feeling her vaginal walls contract against his shaft. Luckily, he covered Sayaka's mouth before she could let out a groan. Not a particularly loud one, but loud enough to expose them. All he could do (besides rushing his hips) was pray this didn't become a habit. "We'll definitely have to buy these clothes now." Makoto's sense of public decency may have died today but he still had a good conscience.

…

They left the change rooms after 9 minutes of intense rutting. Makoto's hair marginally more disheveled than usual, so it was hard to tell. Sayaka was a bigger mess, but she was skilled enough to hide it, and combed her hair with a brush from her bag.

He marvelled at how prepared she was.

Slowly getting over the exhilaration and anxiety of doing the deed in public, Makoto left his girlfriend to clean up, taking the opportunity to scour the shop, secretly searching for a decent gift. It'd be nothing Sayaka couldn't afford herself, but he had to try something.

"Are you looking for anything in particular, sir?" An attendant said to him. Makoto explained he was searching for a gift to give his girlfriend.

"I don't have a huge budget though." Makoto scratched his cheeks.

"I know just the item." The woman guided him to one of the cases, where accessories were shielded by glass.

Makoto's mouth formed an 'O' "I'll take it!" He chirped.

* * *

"You okay?" Sayaka asked. The two had passed the entrance to the party venue, announcing themselves to the bouncers.

Even amidst the loud music he could hear Sayaka clearly, maybe even more than usual. Likely in part due to her somehow being even more beautiful tonight. Her hair was styled into high pony tail. Her face doused with extra makeup. Three silver rings and broaches circled around her left arm. A white tank-top underneath a teal blue vest. A frilly white miniskirt held by a thin, slanted, silver belt.

"I'm nervous." He admitted.

"There will probably be alcohol at this party but stick close to me and you'll be fine. I won't let you do anything you'll regret." She said.

"…Shouldn't that be the _guy's_ line?"

"I _have_ been known to wear pants. Just be glad I haven't made you wear skirts, yet."

"Don't say terrifying things, Sayaka-san."

A feminine voice blows in his ear. "Hello there, cutie.~"

"Ah!" Makoto jerks to the side, head whipping to the side. Satomi Aoba stood, wearing a scheming smile. Makoto clutched his beating heart.

"Don't scare him off just yet, Satomi." Sayaka placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Couldn't help it, he looked so tense."

"It's been a while, Aoba-san." He calmed down and greeted.

"Call me, Satomi. Anyone who's sang on the same stage as me gets to. As long as I don't hate them anyway." Satomi twirled a lock of her hair. "Glad you could make it, Sayaka." She hug the bluenette, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"You've already started drinking." Sayaka darts away, dodging the kiss with a weary smile.

"It's not my fault someone spiked the juice." Satomi shrugs.

"She looks normal to me." He expected drunks to be more…exaggerated in their behaviors. Aoba-..Satomi-san seemed the same as usual. For what he knew.

"She's good at controlling her alcohol, but there's a slight difference. She's less subdued and more upfront about her sadism." Sayaka informed him.

"You're terrible, spilling the beans like that, Sayaka" Satomi fumed…loudly enough to attract a crowd. Naturally, all eyes were turned on the blue-haired girl that just walked in, and soon she was swarmed by the group of the people. Sayaka smiled all the way through like the professional she was. Makoto gave an off-hand wave and said "I'll be fine!"

She nodded, and attended to her fans.

Makoto escaped the increasing tide of human bodies. Dusting off his own clothes. He pouts when he uncovers a stain on the shirt, likely from someone else's mishandling of beverages.

He waddles aimlessly in this foreign world. He hadn't attended parties in his first year of his high school and this looks to be on a different level. He wasn't referring to the club, but the actual party guests. As someone who followed fads, he recognized several faces off TV, from teen actors to musicians.

He made his way over to what may as well have been the bar, pouring himself a glass of what he knew was alcohol. He'd never had beer before, but it was one of those things the teenager in him wanted to experience at least once.

One taste was enough to tell him the experience was overrated. "This tastes awful."

"And I spent so much on it. Boo."

Not this time. "That's just my opinion, Satomi-san." Makoto turned to the idol.

"Makoto-chan's adaptable. Interesting, I'll have to step my game up."

"What's the difficulty setting at so far?"

"Beginner. Working your way up to easy." She smirked.

"Last night, was easy? You girls nearly gave me a panic attack."

"Sayaka said you could handle it, and I was curious too. It's not like we'd have suffered any losses even if you botched the performance. A random, surprise pick from the audience to sing? For a scenario that unreasonable, people would have cheered you on even if you sucked. You didn't, so that just made the show even better. Inviting you to this party is my appreciation, Boyfriend-san."

"Um…thanks." He didn't really know what to make of Satomi. Like Sayaka, she wasn't as preppy as the front she put on in public.

"I'm glad you showed up. Sayaka-chan's so stingy with things she likes, even though I always share with her." Satomi makes a comical expression as she complains. If it was a complaint. It sounded like playful banter to him.

"You know a lot about Sayaka, huh?"

"We've been friends since childhood. I've treated her like my own little sister, maybe more." She puffed her sizable chest out in proud. "Which is why I'm a bit protective myself. So tell me, was she good?"

"Huh?"

"You stayed the night over at her house, didn't you?"

He remembered the call in the bathroom. "Yeah. But we didn't do anything." He lied.

"Pffft-hahaha. Sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate anything. I in my drunken state, I can't help what I say." Satomi clutched her stomach. Once she recovered, she poked Makoto on the forehead. "Which is why as a fellow lover of Sayaka-chan, I'll let you in on something. She's got a bit of a praise kink and is totally submissive once you break through her. Try it if you ever get the chance."

Makoto's cup splashed somewhat. He stared at the taller girl in shock and confusion. "I…why would you know that?" No even before that. "You and Sayaka are lovers?" That can't mean what he thinks it does.

"Being an idol is tough. The few who stick with this gig and make it big are all crazy determined or plain crazy. We've got to watch our diet, watch where we go, who we associate with. We're not even allowed to have _boy_friends." She emphasized the last word. "We have to cope somehow, and who better than with the girls we're closest to?"

That kiss Satomi tried to give Sayaka seemed a whole lot less chaste. "Then…even now?"

"Sayaka's faithful. I'm just spilling gossip. And I say 'lover', but it was more like experimentation or stress-relief. There's no deep meaning or strong emotion behind it." Satomi elaborated.

"I wish you said all that first." Makoto muttered. Then found himself getting pulled into a hug by the girl. "Wah!"

"But then I wouldn't get to see you freak out a bit." She pauses, then pushes him back. Bashfully clutching her cheeks as she blushes. "Kyaaa! What am I saying? I'm not a sadist!"

"Satomi-san, I think you should sit down and rest a bit." Scratch his earlier assessment, she was hammered and completely different than the girl he'd met in Sayaka's home. He set her down on the nearest seat and rushed to find what water (after testing it)

"You're such a nice guy, Makoto." She drank the clear liquid from the cup. "But, can you do me a favor?"

"What?" If it's sensible.

The idol twirled her cup, the water splashing on the edges. Her dexterity was balanced enough that the liquid hit the rim, but not a drop spilled to the floor. "We have dreams, and Sayaka's important to make them a reality. I want her to be happy, but I want to be happy too. Please don't steal her away."

"I can't stop Sayaka if she decides to quit, but I won't force her to do anything." He crossed his arms and smiled. "I hope it doesn't come to that though. I love you guys."

Satomi giggled and laughed. "You're a fun guy. Ever think of joining an idol group? We'd welcome you with open arms. Even manager-san would consider it after your performance."

"I'm not cut out for that kind of life."

Satomi rested her chin on the desk, sulking. "Too bad. If I'd found you first, I could have made you a toy for all the girls to play with. Then Sayaka wouldn't be _too_ attached. Wouldn't that have been great?"

Makoto calmly backs away from the danger zone. Makoto journey backs into the center of the party. Once away from Satomi, the awkward loneliness resurfaced, most of the people around him where either risqué dancing or conversing in groups, he wasn't sure how to join in.

His eyes searched for signs of blue hair, figuring that Sayaka could help him out of his predicament. Not much luck, as she was nowhere to be seen. He sighs…

"Huh?" He freezes, thinking about when he became so dependent on the idol. He wasn't a kid at an oversized toy store, he could do this alone.

As Makoto resolved himself, he's pushed forward, losing his balance.

"My bad." Makoto hears a light and upbeat voice as an arm latches onto his to keep him still. The brunette directs his eyes over to the person who nearly pushed him over. Wearing an apologetic expression was a boy of roughly the same age. He had a slim build and was only slightly taller than Makoto. His short, wavy hair was dyed a light orange. He wore a white-logo shirt beneath an open hoodie and black pants.

"It's okay. Thanks for catching me." Makoto said, cheerfully as the boy let go of him.

"You're the guy who was with Satomi-chan." Makoto glimpsed diamond-encrusted piercings as the other boy's head moved from side-side, like he was searching for something in the far-off distance. "Are you alone?"

"Um…yeah." He admitted, lamely.

"Your first time at a party like this, right?" His charming smile was perfectly suited to his innocent, boyishly attractive face.

"Is it that obvious?"

He grinned. "A little. I was the same during my first time. Piece of advice: thinking too hard only makes you nervous. Just loosen up and the motions will come naturally." The socialite paused and then said. "I'm Ken Himejima, by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Makoto replied.

He saw the boy's smile retreat slightly. "Not the usual fanfare I get. You've never heard of me?"

"I can't say I have, sorry." The brunette flustered. Nice going, Makoto!

"Just joking. I'm a male idol. My group's called Daydream and our fanbase is pretty much entirely girls." He explained with a disarming aura. "Not that I'm complaining, but I hope I one day meet a guy who knows me by name alone."

"I'm Makoto Naegi. Sorry, I couldn't be the first."

"I _thought_ I recognized you."

"Were you at the concert?" Makoto assumed, scratching his cheek. That was the only place a celebrity would know him from.

The orange-haired boy gave him a strange look, "No way. Going to another group's concert, is like, taboo, dude. I'd get grilled out by my producer. I watched it on TV." The idol industry sounded more and more like a war zone. "You've got a great voice. Did Satomi hire you?"

Makoto shook his head. "I wish, maybe then I'd have been prepared and gotten _paid_."

Himejima's smile widened. "Hey, why don't you come hang out with me? I'll show you how to let loose."

Makoto didn't have a reason to refuse. "I'll take you up on that, Himejima."

"No no, that's too stuffy. Just call me Ken."

"Ken-san…Ken." Makoto repeats the name and then nods. He follows the celebrity to a table with more cups than there were people.

"New friend?" A girl asks.

"Yup, say hello to Makoto." Ken introduces him, patting Makoto on the back and pushing him to the front.

"Hi, thanks for letting me join in." Makoto speaks, trying to overcome his reservations.

"Ever played beer pong?" Ken inquires. Makoto shakes his head "Partner up with me, I'll show you the ropes." Makoto followed the boy to one end of the table, across from two others. He looks down to see an assortment of beer-filled cups on both ends. Ken draws a ping pong ball from a can of clear water. He holds with two fingers and throws it, the sphere landing straight into the opposing team's cup. With a cheer from the onlookers, Makoto watched one of them chug the alcohol and take the ball out.

"Simple right?" Ken smiles, a hand at his hip.

Makoto pressed a finger to his chin. "How do you lose?"

"There aren't any more cups on your side or you stop drinking. Oh, and if someone misses, both teams drink." Ken said.

Makoto gulps. Guess the option to not drink was slim. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, don't think. Just roll with it." Ken hands him the ball

Makoto takes a deep breath. "Here goes." Makoto threw the ball, it landed just on the rim and bounced off. Whoops.

He held the red cup in hand, his eyes glancing to the other three who didn't hesitate to drink. 'Don't think…'

He chugged the beverage down.

Makoto had to admit that Ken was right. Once he took the first leap, the others were easier…but his aim didn't get any better. His turn was inevitable designated, the "group drink" turn, because he'd never hit the cup. It was a spectacular sight to many. Makoto's aim was accurate, but bizarrely, the ball consistently missed the hole. One time, it actually spun around the rim like a basketball, only to fall out.

Eventually, they won (loosely speaking, he doubted this game had winners or losers). The other team surrendered and couldn't drink anymore.

"We did it!" Makoto jumped and high-fived Ken. His feet wobbled when they touched ground. Once more, Ken had to keep him steady.

"In a nick of time too. I wouldn't have survived another miss." The orange-haired boy looked away with a sick expression, covering his mouth.

Makoto giggled, swaying from side to side. "W-Want to go another round?"

"Let's go find other games. Non-alcoholic ones." Ken advised.

"Lead the way, cap'n." Makoto saluted him, following the boy to a string of party games and meets. He barely retained any memories of his actions for more than 5 minutes back. When he glanced at a nearby clock, he discerned hours had passed and he felt close to _passing out._

The boys dropped by a seating area in the corner, the two sprawled out languidly on a leather couch. He didn't know if it was due to the physical exertion, excitability…or because of the fireplace, but it was hot. Makoto discarded his jacket, while Ken did the same to his hoodie. The brunette glanced at his new friend. He could see Ken's muscles were more defined than he'd initially believed. The opening on his midriff also revealed a set of hard abs.

Makoto didn't have an interest in the male gender, but from an objective standpoint, Ken was attractive. As expected of a celebrity. "K-Ken-san, what's it like to be a male idol?" Makoto asked, envious.

"Ha? You interested?" Ken smiled. Makoto nodded, thinking that if he had the same level of aptitude, then maybe he'd be a better, more respectable match for Sayaka. "It's endless practice, they work you like a dog, you have to get along with people you may or may not like and **_still_** need to put on a smiling face for the all the world to see." Harshly consistent with everything Makoto had heard thus far. "But It's worth it for the status. Some of my friends think I'm a little fruity, but I'm swimming in money and girls fall at my feet. I'll take the idol life as a definite plus. I might even get bored and miss it when it's gone."

Girls were a positive, of course. "Are you allowed to date any of your fans?"

"No chance. I don't have it as hard as the girls do, I have to look desirable, but one serious relationship or one sight at a hotel with a babe, and I'm toast." He sighed.

"Even if it's with other idols?"

"Same deal. It doesn't matter if it's with celebs or non-celebs. Would make for a good story when you're out of the business though." Ken smirked. "Why the questions?"

"Ah, just curious." Makoto said. In the end, becoming an idol himself might only hurt than help. '_I'll do my best to make Sayaka proud of me, my own way.'_

"Call me curious too. What about you, Makoto? Dating anyone?" Ken slid up next to him. Makoto could smell the alcohol in his breath.

He let the question hang for a minute before replying. "…No."

"I'd say that's a shame, but it's perfect for me; I won't feel quite as bad about this."

Makoto didn't get the chance to inquire before feeling the boy's lips smack against his. Even in his intoxicated state, Makoto retained enough sense to know he shouldn't be doing this.

He pulled back, shock evident on his features. Ken pressed closer, pinning him down to the sofa, the stronger boy cupping his cheek.

"It's weird at first, but it's not much different than kissing girls. Don't think and just let yourself go." He said, his face hanging right above Makoto's as he dove in for another kiss.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ken stopped, both boys turn to the source of that snarl. Makoto's eyes widened in fear at the sight of Sayaka glowering at them. In reality, the idol's stare was neutral, but he could see beneath the mask.

"Sayaka. You're kind of interrupting something." Ken said. His tone distinctly colder than Makoto'd heard up to this point.

"My mistake. A country girl like me isn't civilized enough to sit back and watch my friend get taken advantage of."

Ken's face warped in displeasure at the accusation. He strode of Makoto, getting on his feet and locked eyes with Sayaka. "Why are you making me look like the bad guy? He's clearly interested in me, and I wasn't "taking advantage" of him. I'm getting to join Daydream."

Sayaka furrowed her thin blue brows, confused. She gazed at Makoto, the boy turtling up, unable to meet her eyes. The bluenette looked back to Ken. "I'm not sure shoving your tongue down his throat is a valid recruitment method."

"It's _called_ easying into a deal. Or is that a little too much action for you, princess?"

The two silently glared at each other. Makoto didn't know if there was history here of if this was a spur of the moment rivalry. What he did know, was that it was his fault.

"Guys, I'm sorry. Please don't fight." His words didn't come out as articulately as intended.

Sayaka sighed. "He's not able to consent to anything right now."

Ken grunted. "Is he your mark or something? If so? It's fair game if I snatch him up first."

"He's not an object. If you want something from him, ask later." Sayaka spoke with the poise of an idol, no matter how much she wanted to act otherwise, at this moment in time.

Ken scratched his hair. "Not what I meant…Why are you so hostile? Do you like him or something?"

Sayaka's flinch was barely notable. None of the boys had caught it. She turns to Makoto, he was looking at her now, still in a daze. "Yeah, I do like him." She said.

Ken was nonplussed at the unexpected answer. Even more than Makoto was to hear Sayaka admit that detail aloud. The orange-haired boy's eyes shifted between the two as recognition graced his features. "So it was like that. Guess I struck out then." Ken reluctantly rubs the back of his head then turns to Makoto. "My bad, again. I got the wrong idea. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's no…problem at all!" Makoto hiccupped and waved.

Ken sends Sayaka an apologetic smile and shrug, before walking past her, leaving the two alone. The bluenette kneels by Makoto, getting him to sit up straight.

"Are you mad?" Makoto asks, eyes lidded like he could fall asleep at any moment.

"I don't have the right to complain after ditching you that way." She extends her hand for him to take. "Let's go home."

Makoto tilted his head. "Is my house near here?"

Sayaka pressed a hand against her forehead. "_My_ home."

"Oh…" He nodded in a comically serious way.

"I hope this wasn't too bad an experience for you." She cups his cheeks.

He shakes his head. "It was loads of fun. Until…um, that last part. But then you showed up!" He bounced from happy to dejected.

The idol smiles. "Well, as promised, I'm here to protect you." Sayaka was so kind, she was too hard on herself.

Makoto's gaze roams her lipstick covered lips. He inches his face close to hers.

Sayaka grabs onto his shoulders, clearly rejecting his advance "We…can't?" He asks, with hopeful eyes.

She shook her head.

"S'it cuz we're in public?"

She shakes her head again. "We've still got one more day before you have to leave. Plenty of time to have me however you want then." She smiles, slyly.

"Okay, when we're alone then." He chirps.

She ruffles his hair, correcting him. "When you're _sober_." She doesn't elaborate on the unspoken difference.

Makoto squints in confusion. "I'm not drunk."

His response was met with transparent skepticism

"I can prove it." He whines.

"Makoto, let's just go home."

He pouts. If she wasn't going to believe him, then he'd just have to show her the evidence.

The brunette procures a tiny, circular box from his pants. He lifts the lid, revealing a silver ring. A feather-design was crafted on the back center. A sapphire gemstone was on the front. "A promise ring. I got this for you at the clothing store. See, I wouldn't have remembered if I was drunk." Makoto stumbles, sloppily placing the ring on her finger. He shows off a toothy grin when he succeeds.

Sayaka stared at her finger in silence. Her shoulders shake, her hands conceal her face, but they don't conceal her giggles. "Of all the tacky –_What am I going to do with you?_"

He giggles with her. Oh wait, what was the legal age again? "Darn. I-I think I was supposed to give you this later. Right before I go back home."

Sayaka stands. Her fingers wrap against his as she guides him up. "I'll pretend to be getting it for the first time when you do. You won't even notice." That said, she keeps the ring on, for the moment.

"Wow. You're like an actress." He's genuinely mesmerized by that.

"Thank you very much." Sayaka admires his gift, a tantalizing thought came to mind. "If it's a promise ring, what's the promise?"

Makoto hummed. That was a good question, one his mental faculties weren't equipped to answer. Therefore, he went with the first thing that came to mind when you see a ring. "That we'll get married and be together forever."

Sayaka melted at his voice. "You're the sweetest drunk ever, Makoto." She'd make sure to go easy on him if he ever remembered how utterly embarrassing, he'd been this night. "We'll have to wait until we graduate high-school, at least. I promised your sister."

"Till graduation then."

* * *

"Things just keep getting curioser and curioser."

The gothic lolita spoke for all 15 students in the room.

Makoto, for one, had no idea what was going on. One minute he was stepping through the doors of Hope's Peak Academy, the next he woke up in an empty classroom, plagued with dizziness and with no idea how he got there.

As misery loved company, Makoto was relieved to see he wasn't the only one in these strange circumstances. Surrounding him were all Super High School Level students, or the Ultimates. Each had an aura far removed from his mundane nature. **Leon Kuwata, Hifumi Yamada, Celestia Ludenburg, Sayaka Maizono, Byakuya Togami, Junko Enoshima, Mondo Owada, Kyoko Kirigiri, Aoi Asahina, Toko Fukawa, Chihiro Fujisaki, Sakura Ogami, Yasuhiro Hagakure **and** Kiyotaka Ishimaru**.

He knew none personally, but he recognized some, either by appearances or after introductions. But none of their impressions compared to their "headmaster's" or so demented bear, **Monokuma**, claimed.

"All of you will live a communal life inside this school. **Until the day you die**."

They were given an ultimatum. Spend the rest of their lives in these walls…or kill someone. Courtesy of **Owada**, the threat crystallized when he attacked and threw Monokuma, only for the bear to explode a few meters away.

Had it not been for **Kirigiri** and her warning …that might have been the end of the biker. The scent of gunpowder lingering in the air was proof.

"A lie, is what it is. All these ridiculous things we've heard… This all has to be fake!" **Ishimaru's** denial, his plight was shared by those who held onto a glimmer of hope.

A false hope **Togami** crushed underfoot.

"Right now it doesn't matter if it's real or fake. What matters is…is there anyone here who is seriously considering all this?"

Whatever meager trust existed between them – between strangers – all rotted away.

* * *

"Naegi...did you happen to go to Sixth Blackroot Junior High? Were you maybe...in class 2?" Maizono asked. Among the other Ultimates, she'd been the one he got along with best. It was surreal he could talk to a national celebrity like this.

"I'm surprised you even remember me." The only faint connection they shared was that they went to the same middle school.

…

Well, never mind. Maizono took a liking to him, offering to act as his Ultimate Assistant. He could proudly say they were friends. Why else would she confide in him?

"While I'm in here, the world out there is forgetting about me. Minute by minute, we're all disappearing. But still... I can't afford to be stuck in here!" Her reasons for becoming a pop star, the fear and desperation she felt being trapped in here. She exposed it all to him.

The faith she had in him…he wouldn't betray those expectations.

"But it's kind of strange, you know? I never thought I'd get a chance to really talk to you like this. All through middle school, you never talked to me. In fact, you never even looked at me." Maizono mused.

She was a celebrity, he couldn't just gawk at her… and how'd she know that?

"I was watching…I was always looking for an opportunity to talk to you."

"Why?"

"Because…because…" Maizono's arm latched onto her opposite shoulder, looking at him wearily. "Um…oh! Do you happen to remember a boy called Kawashima?"

"Ah! Takashi-kun was one of my best friends." One of…no, Takashi _was_ his best friend. Was there someone else?

"That explains why he always got those up-close pictures of you. My favorites were the ones with the rabbits. I think that's where my interest came from. You seemed like a really nice guy; the rumors said so too." Maizono placed a finger to her lips. "Say…do you have a girlfriend?"

The question caught him off-guard. The answer was of course no. He'd never dated in his life…

…

No way. He felt silly that he even tried to remember, his first girlfriend isn't exactly something he'd forget.

"Aren't you going to ask if I have a boyfriend or not?"

He honestly wasn't all that interested in finding out, but since she asked. "You're popular right? I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

Yet he was relieved when she said no.

"Let's just say... there's someone I'm interested in."

The implication that he was that person, made Makoto's heart flutter.

* * *

The two searched for weapons to be used a self-defense, stopping by a golden sword in front of the gym.

"Why don't you take it, Naegi-kun? It's a bit much for me, but you might be able to handle it." Maizono said.

He agreed, with the intention of carrying it back to his room on a later date…preferably after he found some gloves. "I'll put it to good use. Thanks for worrying about me."

"No problem, Naegi. You seem like a defenseless guy, please take care of yourself." Her slender fingers brushed against the silver ring she wore

* * *

"I want out! Let me out of here right now!" Maizono thrashed. The videos of their loved ones held captive had stricken her the most. Makoto had founder her sitting in an empty classroom, staring off into space.

He consoled her as best he could. Help would arrive…eventually.

"But...what if there isn't a way out? What if help never comes?"

"I-If that happens... then I'll get you out of here myself! No matter what it takes!"

While hugging Sayaka tightly, he promised to protect her.

Deep down, he felt that wasn't the first time he'd done so.

* * *

"Naegi...please be careful. If someone comes to the door, don't open it no matter what."

"I won't. The same goes for you, Maizono. No matter who it is, don't open your door for anyone."

The two agreed to exchange rooms for the night when Maizono explained that she'd heard strange noises in front of her door. Makoto proposed the idea of a switch after bungling here and there.

"...Good night, then. See you in the morning." Maizono offered a goodbye.

The door shut behind Makoto. The boy looked in the direction of the cafeteria, thankful nobody was there. Nobody should have been thanks to the nighttime rule.

When he motioned to the direction of the dorms down the halls he saw…"M-Maizono-san?" The bluenette, who he'd left in his room, stood in front of him.

The idol met his bewilderment with an enigmatic smile. She walked past him towards the main halls. Makoto's rubbed his eyes, she was still there, dissuading the possibility that he was hallucinating.

He turned back to his door, motioning to knock and see if Maizono (who should have been on the other side!) would open.

"There's no point, Makoto. It's already too late." Maizono stopped in the clearing and called his first name. It felt as jarring as it was natural.

"C'mere. There's somewhere I want to take you."

Makoto followed the playful command.

His eyes widening when Maizono turned **up the stairs. **They'd searched the school for days, but the stairs had always been closed off. Makoto advocated they wake the others, however Maizono wasn't open to derogations, paying his concerns no mind.

Makoto trailed behind her, silently. His thoughts wandered to the openness of the school. The second floor, then the third, then the fourth, and finally the 5th. Makoto's steps slowed down with each ascension, flooded by a sense of familiarity.

Maizono lured him to the greenhouse, which Makoto would more accurately describe as a forest, or botanical garden.

Waiting for them in front of the gigantic flower overhead, was a white, round table and two chairs. Maizono motioned for him to sit, he did, hesitantly.

"Why'd you follow me? At this point, anyone would suspect me of being the mastermind, yknow?" Maizono said, crouching near the greenery.

Makoto spluttered at the sudden declaration. "T-That's crazy."

"Hahaha, yup. I could never kill **_you_**, Makoto." Her hands ruffled through the grass, searching. "You're the boy I love the most, after all."

The weirdness of this situation, the hazy light-headedness, and that statement…Makoto could only conclude that "I must be dreaming."

"You have dreams about me too? You and Komaru really are siblings." Maizono stood and faced him, hands behind her back to hide what she'd procured from the flower bed.

Makoto tilted his head. "Did I ever tell you about my sister?"

"You don't remember that dinner? Or the time Komaru fainted? I panicked!" She flailed, finally taking her seat.

He saw static and remembered.

"O-Oh right." How'd he forget that?

"Komaru said she dreamed about being my bandmate, but, what about you? I hope it's nothing too dirty, that'd be super embarrassing." She blushed.

"N-No, nothing like that!" His voice cracked, hands raised defensively.

Sayaka was more mischievous, almost cat-like, compared to the Maizono he knew.

…or Maizono was different from the Sayaka he knew?

…

"Whatever you say~ Just remember, I'm willing to act out most fantasies."

Makoto gripped his knees, head hanging down as his cheeks burned.

But Sayaka wouldn't stop. "Is what I'd like to say, but we weren't really given much breathing room once we enrolled in Hope's Peak – what a coincidence that was! – and Kyoko along with the others found out about our relationship in no time flat."

That's right. It'd been a shocker for her to see him as her classmate in homeroom. Makoto knew she'd be there through social media. The two decided to put up their usual front, claiming to be friends from middle school.

It didn't work out.

"It must have been my fault. I'm not very good at acting." He berated himself.

"No, I'm pretty sure it was mine. After all, I get a little…territorial. Between Kyoko, Aoi, Mukuro, and heck even our upperclassmen! I couldn't let my guard down against girls that tough, and you weren't helping!" She fumed.

Makoto wasn't sure what to say. "So it _is_ my fault? I don't really get it honestly."

"Sometimes I can't tell if you're perceptive or dense, Makoto." Sayaka sighed.

Makoto rubbed his neck, shooting her an apologetic smile. "I never got why you admitted we were dating. You could have kept it a secret, I wouldn't have minded if that's what you were worried about. I don't think the others would have either." Sayaka made it a point to announce to their homeroom that the two were in a relationship, despite the clear dangers involved. Then again, it's not like their friends would have ratted them out.

"Maybe not openly, but I doubt they'd approve of what I was doing; hiding you away like someone to be ashamed of. Even if they did, I wouldn't, not anymore. That was a good excuse to come out with it."

"So it _did_ bother you." Makoto drooped, his shoulders sagging, making him look like a whimpering puppy.

"_You should have been bothered the most, Makoto_." Sayaka's expression hardened.

"I'm fine with our arrangement." And more than anything else, he didn't want to be a burden.

"I had a feeling you'd answer that way. We were never able to see eye to eye on this." The dilemma where the other believed themselves undeserving of their partner. "That's why I brought you here." She said abruptly and with a cute gesture she asked. "Have I ever told you my favorite flower?"

"A rose." It'd made sense when she revealed it while they were dating. It's incredible how it came from her love of that brand of tea…

"Correct." Sayaka held out a blue rose, gently placing it on the table.

"Pretty. I've never seen a blue one before. Shikiba-senpai must have made it." The Ultimate Botanist was a genius when it came to flowers. "It fits you."

"It does, doesn't it? This one especially. Roses are pretty, everyone likes them. Blue roses? They're prettier and stand out even more. But…" Her fingers drifted down the flower's length. "all roses have thorns, no matter the color."

"I know."

"Do you? Roses are better admired from afar, you shouldn't pluck them out from the wild and hold onto them. You could hurt yourself. Just like this…" She pricked her fingers on the thorns, allowing for pink blood to flow.

Sayaka didn't even let out a whimper, instead staring him down with dead eyes that told Makoto not to move. "An ordinary person would let go. When you didn't, I was happy, at first. You say you're ordinary, but I never took you at your word. Normal people aren't like you." Her delicate fingers pricked on the sharp ends "You're the normal person everyone _wants_ to be. Good, just good…but I'm not. I loved your unconditional affection. But I loved your desperation even more."

Makoto gave a confused reaction. "My…desperation?"

"I'm in the same boat, so I know it's not easy to admit. Though in your case, you're too easy to read for it to be kept a secret. Our relationship started as you wanting to protect me, but soon enough? What you really wanted was to keep me all to yourself, right?"

Her eyes scanned him, searching for a confession.

"I was conflicted" He compromises.

She giggled. "I can't get over that night, when I saw how desperately and selfishly you wanted to me. I've seen that look from too many guys or girls, but never you, not to _that extent_ and not so openly. I couldn't control myself. I was happy that you were closer to me. That you _weren't_ perfect, and I could paint you in my colors.

Knowing that, do you still think-"

"Whatever you say or think. My feelings won't change." This conversation had already concluded in his mind. He loved her. End of story.

"…Never?"

"Never."

…

"That's true, isn't it? You didn't lose to your own desires and apologized for being selfish. Only you could be sorry when I'm the one who placed you in an unreasonable position. You wouldn't let go of me." Sayaka twirled the blood-stained rose in hand, even the blue petals were dyed.

He'd seen enough of that color, it made him nauseous.

"I could never do that, I wouldn't apologize for trying to have you all to myself and I'd do almost anything to keep you. _Almost anything_." She stressed.

"You really don't give up. I've said it before. That you took a chance on me, was enough." He says, adamantly.

*Static*

Sayaka's eyes harden an icy blue. "That overwhelmingly positive attitude…you're quite cruel yourself. Much like how angry you felt when Sayaka injured her wrist, don't you think it would have angered her to see you enduring that pain?" She spoke in a monotone voice. "I overstepped my mission parameters, hoping to give you closure, but it appears nothing I say will change your mind. I apologize."

He shed a guilty smile. "Charades are over, I guess."

"Yes, there's not much point keeping it up any longer. And I am sorry for violating your memories. You may not recall, but this was a necessary step for us."

"Yeah, it's coming back to me." But before the program was over, he had one final question. "You've seen my…our memories. From your perspective…were we that hopeless?"

She closed her eyes as she spoke "_That relationship was doomed to fail at one point or another."_

Makoto paused, before nodding. "Yeah, I guess that's not surprising. I tried my best, but that wasn't good enough."

"Let me finish: That is the logical assessment of an outsider." She said." However…the only ones who could answer that question were the two of you."

Makoto fell silent at the non-answer. Of course, it couldn't be that easy, but…doesn't that mean it's impossible to find the answer? Sayaka isn't here anymore. "I'm satisfied. Let's end this."

She nodded._ "_Alter Ego: Model Maizono. All assigned tasks executed successfully." The rose fell, signaling the end of this 'world'. The floor, the walls, the greenery. Everything corroded, melding into pure white.

_"_One more thing, Naegi-san. A word, from someone who had the privilege to walk alongside you." The corners of her lips rose. "The word 'hopeless', doesn't belong in your vocabulary_." _

"..."

**Memory retrieval – 100%**

**Neo World Program – Complete**

"How are you feeling, Naegi-kun?" Miaya Gekkogahara voiced her concern through Monomi.

Makoto emerged from the pod, steadily regaining the feeling in his legs as he touched the ground. As for the therapist's question, "I don't know."

Makoto struggled to piece together his swirling memories. The simulation had felt so real, like he'd traveled back in time and relived his childhood. However, this was his reality and there was no running from it.

The hands on his watch ticked once more and time would move on. Without her.


	2. Chapter 2

A knock on the door wakes Makoto from a light sleep. In a daze, he sluggishly moves around the quarters assigned to him by the future foundation.

The ex-lucky student unlocks the door. "Took you long enough." Asahina says in all her bubbly glory. A better change in disposition compared to last week.

"Yo, Hina. You need something?" His smile is crooked. He locks onto the box she holds in both hands. "What's that?"

"Donuts! Thought you could use a few. They always cheer me up when I'm feeling down." She assumes he's depressed.

"I'm not, but you're always welcome." He shifts sideways, giving the swimmer room to come inside.

She doesn't move.

"R-Really? You were in the New World Program for a while. We were worried you'd never wake up. Well, Hagakure and I were. You know Togami and Fukawa-chan…"

"In that case, shouldn't you be more worried about Kirigiri-san?" He and Kirigiri's memories received the most extensive tampering and had remained in the program longest. Right down to middle school for him, but the detective even had her childhood memories and knowledge of her family mostly erased.

"Kirigiri-chan's cool as usual. Should've known she wouldn't be all that bothered. To think she was the same when we attended Hope's Peak too." Asahina waved her hands, flippantly dismissing the notion.

Makoto wondered if her assessment was true. Kirigiri was good at not letting her emotions show. "I'll go see how she's doing later. You can't trust Kirigiri-san to be honest with herself about these matters." He remembered that much.

"Eek!" Asahina jumped, a hand on her ear and one eye closed in pain.

Makoto gave her an odd look. "You okay?"

She nods rapidly, suspiciously so. "Yeah but um… what about you, Naegi-kun?"

"What about me?"

Asahina fumbled with her fingers. "You know, I remembered a bunch of our old friendships. Like me and Sakura-chan and you with…"

Oh.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm right as rain. You've got great timing. Can I ask a favor?"

Asahina took a strangely long time to utter a 'yes'.

"Can we exercise together?"

This time, the swimmer's response was immediate. "Why the heck not?! I spent too long cooped up in Hope's Peak. Now I've got a fire to burn. Let's go, partner!" Whatever that meant, but he could've sworn he saw her eyes light up like candles. Her burst of energy inorganically defuses when she asked. "Oh b-but um, I gotta ask why first."

"I approached Tengan-san to ask if I can start going on missions. But he told me I'd need to pass a physical exam and doubted I could now." Makoto emphasizes his point by holding up his skinny arms.

Asahina jumps. "Nonono. Bad idea, we still need to rest and Gekkogahara needs to run more psychiatric evaluations for signs of trauma."

"I'm fine, Hina. I don't think I can sit here when the world's still up in flames. Plus…we've got family to look for." He said solemnly. His parents and Komaru were still being held captive. "I have to rescue them before…before…"

Asahina places a hand on his shoulder. "You're right as always, Naegi. I've got to save Yuta too." She pumps herself up. "But you still need to get everything checked with Gekkogahara-chan, deal?"

"Fair." He shrugs. "So, uh…you coming in or what?"

She nods, stepping through the door. Makoto tilted his head when he saw a Bluetooth in the swimmer's ear. "What's that plugged into your ear?"

"Nothing at all." She stashed the device in her shorts.

"You know…you're a little weird, Asahina-san."

"One less donut for you."

* * *

Once blue skies are polluted a dark-red color, courtesy of Ultimate Despair. It serves as one more reminder that he world he knew was lost. But that didn't mean they couldn't get it back. The clouds were out of his reach. The bloodshed on the ground, however? _That,_ he could do something about.

Remains of a Monokuma splatters from the electric discharge and flings through the air. Makoto huffs, his microphone aimed at where the bear once stood. He'd made a gamble, luring the demented robot to an alleyway, with little room for it to dodge. Makoto took one glance at its detached head.

He'd be lying if he said the experience wasn't cathartic, but he didn't dwell on the emotion. He had to rescue the survivors.

His legs moved but not too far before two men blocked his exit. One he quickly recognizes, the Togami heir donning his usual irritated glare. "Can you stop running off? I won't hear the end of it if anything happens to the "precious hope" on my watch."

"Togami-kun!" Makoto chirps, happy to see his friend safe and sound. "There's a survivor hiding in the broken-down restaurant, two blocks over. I drew the Monokuma away." He points in the right direction.

The blonde moved his jaw, gesturing his subordinate to cover the rescue operation. He leaves without a word.

"Togami-kun, how'd you find me?" Makoto wipes sweat off his brow. These suits were so hot.

"I heard the explosion." Togami looks past him and to the Monokuma, easily given the difference in height. "Hmpf, you're getting the hang of this. To be expected, given how much you seem to enjoy destroying the blasted things."

"I wouldn't say that. But we should get going, there might be more Monokuma's around."

"Do you think I would be standing here if there were? This was the last district and we've swept it mostly clean. We're done here."

"Oh."

"You sound disappointed, given this is your 4th mission this week. Honestly, even I am beginning to admire your work ethic."

"Really? That's a rare compliment." Makoto beams.

The heir scoffs. "It was sarcasm. I'm saying commoners like yourself shouldn't overstep their boundaries. Lest they self-destruct."

"I'm only doing the best I can."

"Your best is making pretty speeches. Combat isn't and has never been your forte. That you haven't been killed yet can only tell me there's something deeply wrong."

"Um…thanks I think?"

"Whatever, I'm here to bring good news, not lectures. Kirigiri messaged me earlier, saying we've discovered your sister's whereabouts in Towa City."

All fatigue fades. "Let's go after her right now." Makoto practically jumps his friend, prompting a disgusted look from the man.

Togami pushes him back with one arm. "_You_ are going back to the 14th division. Kirigiri wants you on standby."

He freezes, "That doesn't make any sense. I can't sit back while Komaru's out there. I should be the one-" Togami silences him with a raised hand.

"It's a wise decision, for once. You're in too deep and you'll make mistakes. Asahina's out for the same reason. We also have reason to believe Ultimate Despair is present."

"All the more reason for me to be there." He frowns.

"You're not needed. I'll be going, and Fukawa will be my backup."

Makoto's jaw drops. "You're taking Fukawa?" How far had he fallen down the pecking order?

"She needs to rack up rapport with the foundation, to prove she isn't just a murderer they're letting live. If you joined us, you'd suck up all the credit like a sponge. For too many reasons to list, I can't have you on this mission."

"So, what I want doesn't even matter?" He balls his hands into fists.

"When has it ever? Kirigiri, as well as I, know what's best. Return."

"But-

"That's an order." Togami folds his arms.

Makoto reluctantly stands down.

"Fine. Just take care of Komaru, please."

"Who do you think you're talking to? Byakuya Togami can handle one little girl."

* * *

"How're Komaru and Fukawa-san?" Makoto asked Togami. The two conversing through respective PCs. The heir had remained in Towa city after reclaiming it from the remnants of despair, particularly Monaca Towa.

From what Makoto's heard and partly seen, Komaru played no small part in that huge victory. He swelled with pride when Togami told him the news.

"They're doing fine, just like the last 5 times you called. Are we going to do this every week?" Togami sighs with exasperation. "Rebuilding of Towa city is still going relatively smoothly. Would be smoother on my end if that idiot Hagakure wasn't wasting my time with his incessant blabbering."

Makoto laughs. "I'm glad he's doing okay."

"That makes some of us. How's the swimming idiot?"

The brunette's feature strained. "Better…but still not okay. I've been consoling her as best I can, but I think she might have taken Yuta-kun's death harder than Sakura's."

"Consoling? You? I see. I suppose if the alternatives are the corpse fetishist and glorified therapist, a patient may well be more qualified to treat another patient." Neither said anything for a few moments. "I'm certain Asahina's cursing my name to the high-heavens for not taking her with me."

"There wasn't anything you could've done, Togami." It wasn't the least bit fair, but that was the reality they lived in. One they had to change. "I'll hold the fort down here. Got anything new to report?"

"…About the incentive Monaca Towa gave your sister, to coerce her into executing the children."

He nods. The girl had claimed to have killed their parents, all to make Komaru fall to despair. Too bad for her it didn't work.

"We've confirmed that up to a point, your parents were housed in Towa City. Consistent with all the other hostages from the killing game's first motives. All others, those who were stated by Fukawa to not have witnessed killed have been located. All except your parents."

His forehead creased. "Didn't we already know they're missing?"

"'MIA' is debatable. There is nowhere they could have gone. Entrance in or out of Towa had been heavily monitored. It would take a miracle for anyone to sneak in or out without being noticed. Not even Fukawa or I could."

"Togami-kun, what's this about?" He says slowly.

"There was nothing you could have done, Naegi." Togami repeats his earlier words.

"I-Is there something you're not telling me?" Makoto hesitates to even ask.

Togami pauses a moment. One moment. And it felt like an eternity coming from the man with enough assurance to call himself god's gift to man. "No. I've finished my report. Signing off."

With that, the heir's visage disappeared, leaving Makoto immensely confused. "It's not like him to be so cryptic…I should call him back."

It was then that the door slid open, Kirigiri strutting through with a look of urgency. "Naegi, I need your assistance."

"What is it, Kirigiri-san?" It was rare for her to require his help.

"An important assignment. Using my own private networks, I've heard word about a convening of Ultimate Despair. All of Ultimate Despair."

"That. That sounds crazy." Makoto's eyes widen sharply. "What do you think's going on?"

"The source is reliable, but I'll investigate personally. Care to come with-…you're shaking." Kirigiri gave him an inquisitive stare. He straightened up. suppressing his excitability. "I heard voices on my way over. That was Togami on the line, correct?"

Correct.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing much. Just asking about Asahina."

"…What else? Give me a full report."

"I did. He didn't have anything else to say, except well. It wasn't really a report, just telling me to…I think to give up on my parents."

Kirigiri made the same confused expression he was certain he had prior. "…Why would he say that?"

"I don't know. I thought Togami-kun was getting better at the whole social tact thing."

"He has been, but people don't change ingrained habits so easily." Kirigiri said. "He wouldn't have exacerbated your worries without reason."

"What reason is that?" His voice rises several octaves, to the surprise of both. "Uh…sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"…Come to think of it, it's for the best to have you look over Asahina. Forget about Ultimate Despair. I'll handle this on my own."

Makoto gapes. "I'm not letting you do that. It's dangerous!"

"Since when were you my caretaker?"

"Remember the _last time_ you acted on your own?" Makoto returns with a question of his own.

Kirigiri narrows her eyes. "We're not having this argument. I'm pulling rank and ordering you to stand down."

"As your friend, I refuse."

"Togami has been on-leave for several weeks. That means there's that much paperwork to be done. Are you following and more importantly, are you volunteering?"

"Looks that way..."

Kirigiri glares. He tries not to flinch.

The detective lets up, flicking her hair in the process. "It's not like you to be so protective. You know I can handle myself."

"Everyone thinks that about themselves. It doesn't always end up the way they want it to.

The lavender-haired woman's eyes softened, slightly. She presses a finger to her chin and looks at him with calculating eyes.

"What?" He asks.

"Sit." Kirigiri invites him over to a desk. He ignores the sudden change of pace and follows her directions. He feels like an employee that got called up by his and doesn't know why. Wait a second…isn't that exactly what he is?! "Am I getting fired?" He worries.

Kirigiri overlooks the asinine question. "My father and grandfather were detectives, as I'm sure you know." He did. He'd liked the headmaster, but after meeting Fuhito Kirigiri, he couldn't say the old man exuded the same charm.

"I still think it's pretty cool you have a long family line."

"Thanks, but I wanted to talk about my mother's, not so historic, side of the family." That he didn't know. Even his high school memories failed him here. "My grandfather was a master of the martial arts, and eager to teach me everything he knew. I preferred being a detective, but it would be remiss of me to have neglected either discipline."

"Eh, I've never heard anything about you knowing martial arts."

"There was never a time in the academy where I could put it to good use. I _have_ alluded to being able to take care of myself, yes?" She ticks her eyebrow.

He plays dumb. "Maybe once or twice."

She rolls her eyes. "I've always had a hectic childhood, never settling down for what you might call 'play'. Too many expectations for that, and to an extent, this was true for my father. Even though he claimed to hate being a detective, I think he wanted to use me to reconcile with grandfather. I suppose it worked, for a time." Kirigiri's pauses her speech.

"And?" He presses.

"You should know how difficult it is to piece together old memories." She snaps.

"…Sorry. I shouldn't have interrupted."

"No, that was immature of me. Thinking of the past triggers my 'berserk button' as Hagakure eloquently puts it." Hagakure-kun, how did you survive the killing game? "My mother was the only one who never pushed me in any direction. To put it another way, it can also be said that she was the most unremarkable and least determined of the four. Maybe that's why I prioritized my work over her terminal illness." The side of her face rests on her gloved hand. "Whenever I think of my father, I'm conflicted. With my grandfathers, I'm apprehensive. But my mother…I feel warm. I can't remember her face, but I remember the time we spent together. The New World Program made that easier." Kirigiri spoke, almost in a daze herself.

"Kirigiri-san…"

"Now it's your turn." Stone-faced Kiri returns like the flip of a switch. She might make a decent actress yet! "I've done something as troublesome as talking about my parents. It's only fair you do the same and I won't take no for an answer." She glares, as if he'd forced her to make a huge concession.

Makoto scratches his cheeks. "My upbringing was pretty normal, there's not much to tell."

"Naegi-kun…"

"Okay okay!" He waved his hands defensively. "Um…my parents both worked. My dad was a social worker and my mom, an accountant. Nothing too big, we had a middle-class lifestyle, in a decent-sized house, but Komaru and I were perfectly happy." Mom and dad never left them wanting.

"What were they like?" Kirigiri asks

"My dad was a bit of a pushover. He babied us like a crazy. But that might have to do with him being a stay-at-home parent when we were growing up."

"Your family isn't one for gender stereotypes, is it?" Kirigiri jokes.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. We loved him and _someone_ had to be there." Makoto swelled with pride. "He ended up getting a job too after we were old enough."

"I get the picture. And your mother?"

"Komaru takes after her, in my opinion. She was pretty, but totally stubborn when her mind was set."

"That makes two of you then."

"Eh?"

"The stubborn part." Kirigiri quickly corrects herself.

"Oh." He recovered from the slight shock. "Where was I… right. If my dad was lax, mom was strict to balance the family out. When she had to be. Like that one time where I was involved in a robbery, right before I won the Hope's Peak lottery." Makoto laughs heartily, at the memory of a day he readily admits to being one of the most trying in his lifetime. He'd gotten mixed with a criminal, driven a bus and nearly got killed. "Mom was ready to bite my head off after picking me up from the police station. I think I was more terrified of her than the robber." His giggles strain.

Kirigiri observes him like a doctor examining a patient. "Interesting. Your recklessness extended that far back. I'm sure your mother must have been worried all the time."

"She was. My dad got mad too." A bitter aftertaste clogs his throat "You know my bad luck. Either it was my school, breaking the neighbour's window by accident. It must have been a pain raising me, but they always brushed it off. 'I was their special little guy' they said. I was-" His breaths sharping and his eyes sting.

"Naegi-kun. You've been speaking in past tense for some time now." Kirigiri said, every bit as vague as Togami had been.

"…I'll go write those reports now. They should be in Togami-kun's desk, right?" He stands, rubbing his eyes.

"We aren't finished here." The detective uses her authoritative voice.

"Finished _what_, Kirigiri-san?"

She doesn't say anything, as if her concerned expression was enough.

"I've a lot to get done. Please don't search for the Despairs without me, Kirigiri-san." He doesn't look at her while he leaves.

The 14th division director took her eyes away from the door, crossing her legs as she tries to examine what went wrong with her approach. "Solving the mysteries of the heart is more difficult than it should be." She could outwit masterminds at their craft, yet consoling Asahina and Naegi was proving next to impossible. Ironic, as they were both unanimously considered the rays of sunshine in their little group of five. Or perhaps, that was precisely the reason Kyoko and the rest could do nothing.

Making others smile was simply one of the many talents Kyoko lacked. But once upon a time, she knew a girl who inspired others as easily as breathing. It would have been a stretch to call them close friends, but Kyoko respected her drive and ability.

"What would you have said to him, Maizono?"

* * *

"Kyoko!" The sound of Asahina's cries drill deep into his core. If this was a nightmare, the tearful screams would have woken him.

Kirigiri was dead, and it was his fault.

Makoto wipes the blood from her cheek as he just barely heeds Munakata's challenge.

"Where are you going?" asked Mitarai, another unfortunate participant of the supposed final killing game.

"To see Munakata and put an end to this."

"You're going to leave Kirigiri-san here? Wasn't she your friend? Aren't you sad that she's dead? How can you get over this so fast?!" Each one of Mitarai's accusations drove the dagger deeper into his heart.

Makoto grit his teeth. He wasn't angry at the animator, but the circumstance that brought this outcome about. "Of course I can't get over it, but Kirigiri-san entrusted me with her hope. I have to keep going forward." He couldn't let himself fall to despair. Not when there were still so many matters left unfinished.

A gentle hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts.

"Go. I believe in you." Asahina encourages him.

"I'll be back soon."

He left Asahina in Mitarai's care, stalking the broken- down walls of the facility. His mind was set on stopping Munakata before the vice-chairman made any more mistakes. Formulating a plan surrounding Munakata's plausible NG code was difficult, not just because of the logistics of luring him into an area without doors, but because he was getting distracted.

Memories of Kirigiri flooded in at every turn.

Makoto wiped the tears away without giving them a chance to fall. If there's anything life after hope's peak had taught him, it was that a second wasted crying could be better spent saving lives.

...

"I will get rid of all despair." Munakata boldly declared. What may have once been proud words were now the desperation of a man who thought he'd lost everything. That wasn't true. He'd only lost sight of what he still had.

"Don't say it. Don't say that you'll get rid of Yukizome!" Makoto stood on his feet. Munakata was treating the memories of his loved ones like burdens to be discarded.

"What do you know?!" The silver haired man backed him against the wall. With raised fists, he smashes his knuckles against Makoto's face, screaming in denial.

"I do know." He said, resolutely, making even Munakata halt his assault. "Even if Kirigiri had turned into despair and betrayed everyone." Blood and tears mixed. "If I had to kill her to stop her…No matter what happened I'd still have been glad to have met her."

* * *

_Makoto wakes to a strange scene. "Where is this place?" He lifts his head up to the ceiling, taking in the spiral blue sky. He taps his feet on the ground, and it feels like stepping on glass. There is nothing in the distance._

_How did I get here?_

_"Eerie, isn't it?" The sweet voice that flows into his ears makes his blood freeze cold. He turns slowly, his eyes widening to the limit at what he sees._

_A white sailor uniform, a blue plaid skirt, and the face of the girl he once loved. "S-Sayaka?" He stammers, his own voice wrought with disbelief. She looked exactly as he remembered._

_ "I thought you would have forgotten my name, after all this time." She hides the accusation behind giggles._

_His breath hitched. "How could I ever forget?" They were only separated by a small distance. If he took 4 steps, he'd be able to reach her. "Huh?" He grunts when he finds his legs hardened._

_"You're a hero now. There's nobody who doesn't know your name." Like a siren, her voice calls him back with full attention. "Compared to what you have now, there's no reason to remember a has-been." Her smile was both thin and sharp._

_"T-That's not true!"_

_"You haven't said my name in years. Whenever I'm mentioned, you turn away. I suppose that's to be expected. An idol's shelf-life is short, destined to be forgotten and discarded when someone fresh comes along. In the end, I'm not worth much to you. Not as much as Kirigiri-san, is that right?"_

_"You're wrong! I-I still-" The words die in his throat. He clutches his neck, shocked by the abrupt loss of his vocals._

_"I won't let you say it and I won't trust a liar." She interrupts. "You promised to take me away from the school. You promised my father you'd protect me. You promised you'd stay by my side forever. Which of those did you keep, Makoto?"_

_Even if he'd could speak, he wouldn't have been able to answer._

_"You should have been the one to die."_

"That's-" His eyes snap open with a yell. He breathes roughly as he takes in the change in his surroundings. He was in an office, with the only light coming the laptop in front of him. "That dream again."

It takes several minutes to settle down and collect his thoughts. Ultimately, he decides "I shouldn't be sleeping on the job anyway." After the deaths of the other foundation directors and Munakata's leave…the workload was enormous.

"Hm?" He hears a knock on the door.

"Come in." He's surprised to see Fukawa's head peek out from the opening. Really surprised. The unofficially official foundation member was furthest on list of people he expected to visit him.

"Fukawa-san, what are you doing here this late?"

"I-I should be asking you that. Omaru and I weren't to your place and nobody was home."

"Oh…where is she?"

"Asleep. I couldn't even wake her up." The novelist explained.

"Still suffering jetlag, huh?" Or just being a deep sleeper as always. Komaru and Fukawa had recently arrived at the foundation headquarters after driving despair out of Towa city for good. "I'm sure Komaru was heaps of trouble, but thank you for keeping her safe, Fukawa-san. I don't know how to repay you."

"Y-Y-You bet she was. You siblings just can't stay out of trouble." She points at him, accusingly. "I'll think of h-how you can repay me later. For now, tell me when you became a workaholic."

"With Kirigiri-san recuperating and the breakdown in leadership, there's a lot to do. Togami-kun can't handle everything." He said.

"T-Take that back. M-Master can do anything he sets his mind to!" Fukawa was as forthright as ever with her priorities.

"What _was_ I thinking? I'm just helping Kirigiri out then, so she won't have too much to do."

"I hear you've been treating Kirigiri like glass ever since she finished surgery. Must be pissing her off." The author grins maliciously.

"It is, but someone has to make sure she doesn't push herself."

She gags. "Ugh, you lovebirds make me sick. Get a room and fuck like rabbits already."

Makoto chokes at the vulgar assumption. "W-What? W-We're not like that!"

The author's face told him she wasn't convinced in the slightest. "Mhm. I-I'm sure t-t-that's why you always sneaked off together during the killing game, o-or how you're always talking about how great she is. Blergh."

"That's because Kirigiri _is_ amazing. She's like a hardboiled protagonist come to life and we'd never have gotten out of the school without her."

"I dunno. Seems to me that I can still wiggle in romance between all that admiration."

"Don't. I'm not interested in a relationship now." He clenched his hands, thinking back to the dream. He wouldn't let himself forget her.

"O-oi, I might be wrong but – screw it, I'm never wrong about these things: Don't tell me you're still hung up on Maizono." The purple-haired woman accurately guesses.

"…You're pretty amazing yourself, Fukawa-san."

"D-Don't patronize me as if I made some grand revelation. B-But you're not wrong. Nobody knows more about love than me! Oh master." Makoto didn't know where the conversation had diverged, but he had a gut feeling Fukawa had turned a sharp right onto "fantasizing about Togami" street.

Love comes in all forms.

…

It couldn't hurt to ask. "Fukawa-san. About Sayaka and I. What did we look like to you? Before the tragedy."

"…A pair of dimwits." The author said, bluntly.

_ "Close to a perfect score." The idol beamed, heavily contrasting the spiky-brunette's dejected expression._

_"I got a C." The two compared their most recent test grades._

_"There. There." The bluenette ruffled his hair in adoration. "Let's try for a B+ this time."_

_Makoto smacked his cheeks lightly, then stared at his paper with renewed vigor. "You're right. I'll even ask Kirigiri to tutor me."_

_"Why Kirigiri-san?" Sayaka's smile strained._

_"She's smart."_

_"And I'm not?" She sounded offended_

_"Huh? Nonono. Definitely not you." Makoto shakes his head rapidly, dismissing the implication._

_"Is this the part where I don't take this the wrong way before you elaborate?"_

_"…I get the feeling not much studying would get done with you."_

_"Hmm, whatever do you mean~" Her hand slipped downward_

_"I'm trying to say tha-!" He jolted in his seat. "S-Sayaka, stop touching. We're in public!" He said. Half whispering, half yelling._

_"Not until you let me tutor you." She teased._

_"Sooo not helping your case- Ah! Alright, you win!" He shuddered, a furious blush creeping on his cheeks. "Just…none of __**that**__, until I bring my grades up."_

_"Deal."_

_She crossed her fingers behind her back._

"Ugh, just thinking about you two makes me want to puke." Fukawa held her fingers to her forehead, simulating illness.

"I…think I remember that. Y-You were in the library with us?" He blushed.

"Tch, of course you wouldn't notice me. Stuck in your own world." She clicked her tongue. Hope's Peak was an exciting place. If you didn't hear loud, obnoxious teens, you'd think you were alone. "You always denied being together, even though it was obvious. Then go for PDA? Morons."

"Yeah, that was stupid." Makoto hung his head. If someone other than Fukawa had caught them, what could have happened? What if they tipped off the tabloids? Sayaka was too indulgent around him, and the reverse was true for him. "It was a mistake."

"You said that already." Her forehead creased.

"No. Our relationship, was a mistake."

* * *

Makoto dried his wet hair with a towel, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His spiky antennae stood tall. Be it water, cold or heat, nothing phased it. He turned his attention to the black lines under his eyes.

He'd seen better days, but what else could he expect?

The future foundation was going under. Makoto understood Tengan's desperation after in-depth research and access into the organization. Munakata-san and Ando-san practically had their own factions in a cold war within the foundation. It barely held itself together back then, but with the chain of command now an utter mess, nobody knew what to do.

And with the remnants of despair all but a thing of the past, there weren't goals to rally behind. Most of the organization's resources were now devoted to rebuilding. He'd assist as much as he could on that front. Not like he had much else to do.

He placed the black tie over his dress shirt and left the washroom. Makoto blinks when he hears he sees the living room light on. Ill-thoughts are wiped away by a familiar laugh. He sports a bemused smile at Komaru munching on his snacks and watching TV.

Somethings never change.

"You've got to learn to knock." He says

She tilts her head over to him and waves. "I did. Nobody answered so I let myself in. You were in the shower…for a while. You're going out?" She scanned him. "I was hoping we could chat."

"What for?"

She puffs her cheeks. "I didn't think I needed a reason. Even though it's been years since I last saw you, we haven't spoke for more than 5 minutes."

Makoto scratches the back of his hair. "It's a hectic period. We'll go somewhere nice when I have more free time."

"When'll that be? Because from I've heard. You've been overworking yourself since before what happened on the island. The Makoto I knew was a lot more laid back. Why didn't you when you were actually injured?"

"That's what it means to grow up."

Komaru gives him a skeptical look "Is that your way of saying Toko, Asahina, Togami and Kirigiri-san are immature? Because they're asleep at this hour. Hell, that blonde jerk took a _break_." Distinct lack of Hagakure in there.

"I can't sleep. I'm better off being productive." He mutters.

Komaru groans. "They told me you'd be stubborn as a mule about this. They were right."

"'They'? Did someone put you up to this conversation?" He pursed his lips.

"Yeah, your friends are worried about you. I think they're right to be."

"Thanks for the consideration, but I'm fine." He dismissed her concern with the wave of a hand.

"Fine enough to call going out with Sayaka a mistake?" She arched an eyebrow. He really needs to be more careful with his words. "Don't underestimate a girl's social network, big bro. Could get you in a heap of trouble."

"I'm not up for discussing right now."

"When _will_ you be? You haven't opened about her. You didn't even attend _therapy_…and it's too late for that now, from what I've heard." Gekkogahara-san died too.

His shoulders slumped.

"Sayaka used to be all you talked about. What happened to you, bro?"

The killing school life happened.

"That was the past. Things are different. There were lives that needed saving, including yours. I couldn't put that on hold just to wallow in my own misery." He rationalizes.

"That…Is _that_ how you've been coping? You've been using me as an excuse to run away from your problems?" She asked in a shaky, soft voice.

"I'm not running away from them." He denied the accusation.

"Well you sure aren't _facing_ them. From the sounds of it, you haven't even _tried_ in 4 years!" She placed a hand at her hip.

"I told you, I- _We_ had to stop the tragedy and the remnants of despair. Kirigiri-san and the others weren't taking breaks, why should I?"

"Then what about now, Makoto? I'm safe. The remnants of despair are pretty much gone. The world is stabilizing. What's left? Holding up a sinking ship?" She glared at him. "I thought you _liked_ Sayaka. How far down the ladder was she to you?"

**_In the end, I'm not worth as much to you._**

"That's wrong!" He inadvertently yelled. The accusations from the dream came back to him. "I'm doing my best. What more do you want from me?!"

"M-Makoto?" She stared at him, frightened.

"I-I didn't have the time to-…" He trails off. Where had he heard those words before?

…

"Oh." He whispered. Once upon a time, he'd had a similar argument. Only, the roles were reversed. Komaru was where he sat.

Maizono would laugh if he saw me now.

His feet moved, slumping down on the couch next to Komaru. "What do you want to know? About how she died?" He mutters, weakly.

Komaru shifts, clutching her arm with a pained expression. "No. I don't know if that would help but…I've decided I don't want to know anything about the killing game."

There's a hint of derision in his chuckle. "What a coincidence, I don't want you to either." He thinks of where to begin. The obvious start would be… "I guess you know Sayaka and I were dating. Must be a shock."

Komaru squints. "You kidding? I've known that for _years. _Even before you started high school."

He blinks, then accepts. "I could never keep such an important secret any way." He smiles sadly.

Komaru coughs, wearing the guiltiest expression he'd ever seen on her. Like a petty criminal about to confess their crimes. "It's more like…I kinda maybe walkedinonyoutwomakingoutinyourroom hahaha, funny huh?"

Makoto blinks again, trying to decipher that last bit. "Seriously?"

She drags her hand across her forehead, sighing in relief. "Whew, I was so happy you never noticed. I think I'd have died from embarrassment otherwise. I was so shocked it took me 5 minutes to get back to _my room._"

He dares not ask why or what she was doing in that timeframe. "This is why I tell you to knock before opening. Geez." He sighs, then leans back into the chair, his head turned upwards to the ceiling. "So? What'd you think about us?"

"It was crazy! I was happy for you…" Her eyes darken with envy. "But at the same time, I kind of felt like planning a murder."

He laughs, thinking how nostalgic it was to hear that phrase again. "You're not the only one who thought that. But who knows, maybe I would've end up in serious trouble if we _were_ discovered dating."

"Eh, I've always thought those rules were kind of dumb. A girl's gotta have a life. It's not like it'd make her sing any worse." Komaru shrugs, making light of the topic.

"Being an idol was more than just singing. Sayaka was as much an actress as she was a singer. Don't you think it was wrong of her to jeopardize all that for an ordinary guy like me?"

"She chose to like you."

"That's why she was wrong: I'm the reason she died."

Komaru doesn't even react. "I don't believe that for a second."

He shook his head. "If I hadn't been there, _if she hadn't gotten close to me_, she might still be alive." He'd been naïve. So overjoyed with his idol taking an interest in him that he chose to overlook the condition that crippled him since birth. "I'm bad luck."

Trying to hide their relationship and praying nothing bad would come of it? When did that ever work out for him? The simple truth was that he'd been selfish. He wanted to be her fan and her lover at once. He wouldn't have let her take so many risks had he stayed the former.

"…I know you've had it rough, but your 'bad-luck' always been small-time stuff. I lived with you for 14 years. Never got _me_ killed or even injured." Komaru rejects the notion.

Makoto looks her dead in the eye. "Then what about mom and dad?"

"…They're not dead. Monaca was lying, she didn't even have their bodies. **_You know that._**"

"Then where are they? Why haven't they called once? How come nobody has even seen them? The killing game ended years ago. I'm not exactly hard to find!" His fists shook and teeth clenches.

"You're making me mad." He could see the tears at the rims of her eyes.

"You should be. You're part of it." Makoto pressed against his forehead. "Sayaka died because of me. You were captured and forced to play that awful game because of me. Kirigri tripped her NG code and got poisoned so I wouldn't! Those weren't coincidences!" He'd found himself unintentionally yelling.

"Kirigiri and I are alive." Komaru retorted.

"Yeah, let's ignore that she only got poisoned half-way to death, while you had to witness horrifying things nobody should have ever gone through." His sarcasm silences her…until

"It hasn't been all bad. I met Toko." She said.

Makoto rests his chin on his palm, looking away. "I…don't want to demean your friendship or anything. You guys are really close…but, I don't think that balances out all the tragedy." Those pessimistic words felt so strange leaving his lips.

"Maybe, maybe not. But this is my life now and I'm happy Toko's a part of it. And that only happened because she knew you." Komaru forces him to look at her, gripping both his shoulders. "Makoto, you didn't cause the tragedy, you didn't kill your friends and you didn't take us hostage. It wasn't luck either. All of that, was Junko Enoshima's fault. If anything, you stopped the tragedy by beating her at her own dumb game."

"…Kirigiri-san would have managed without me." He frowns.

Komaru rolls her eyes. "Uh huh, yeah not working this time. Because Kirigiri says you're the strongest guy she knows, and _I_ know you've heard it before."

"How?" does she know that? She wasn't even there when he overheard Kirigiri's speech with…

"Asahina told me over lunch." Komaru grins.

'What the heck is this girl's network?'

His sister loosens her grip, her back falling back against the sofa. "Can we forget this luck junk for a second? There's something I need to hear from you."

"Shoot."

"Let's say right now, I made a time machine for you to turn back time. Would you take it?" She proposed with a raised finger.

"…H-Have you been spending time with Hagakure?"

"Answer the question."

"What are the conditions? Stopping the tragedy? Of course I would." He said.

"No. I'm talking about getting involved with Sayaka-chan. If you could, would you stop your past self from ever meeting her?"

Makoto ruminates. Never meeting her…when was that anyway?

…

Ah, the arcade. That felt so long ago…No, it _was_ a long time ago. Life was simple back then.

"No thanks." Makoto rejects the condition with a sad smile. "I think there were problems with our relationship but…I don't regret accepting her confession. Even if it stopped the tragedy from happening, I'm just not selfless enough to trade away the happiest time in my life for the world." He was bombarded by the memories: The teasing, the excitement. Her voice. Her smile. He missed them all.

Komaru wrapped her arms around his shoulder, pulling him into a hug.

"Hey, what's this for?" He asked, only taking notice of his tears when she wiped them away with her fingers.

"Sorry, I don't have a time machine and I was planning on slapping you if you agreed it." She admitted, as if the first part wasn't obvious. "You're not being selfish at all. Your memories are the least you deserve."

He let that sink in for a moment. "Thanks. And for not slapping me too."

"Don't thank me for that just yet. If you've got any more misdirected grievances, there's still a chance I'm going for it."

He laughs. "Don't worry. I think I've gotten most of it out of my system." He leans into her chest, exhaustion washing over him.

He closes his eyes. "If I was smarter…more reliable, more trustworthy, I might have been able to protect her. I promised…but I couldn't do it. After I got my memories back, all I could think about was trying to be useful. Trying to make up for my failures…but it was never enough, and people still died. Maybe it was cheap talk, after all."

"It wasn't your fault, big bro. It's not fair either, but things just happened to turn out this way. We have to live with that."

He nodded.

"But y'know. There's one thing that's still bugging me. Toko told me Enoshima memories of your high school days. Why?"

"To get us to fall for the motives in the first place. We're the ones who locked ourselves in. She even went as far as to make Kirigiri-san forget her identity, so she'd have a harder time solving the mystery." At least they recovered them. A strong consolation.

Komaru continues. "Okay, that solves Kirigiri…but why were _your_ middle school memories erased too? Was there anything important in them?"

The brunette opened his eyes slightly, furrowing his eyebrows. "I'm no detective and I'd never even met Enoshima until hope's peak." Come to think of it… "Sayaka had no memories of me either…"

"Maybe Enoshima didn't think either of you would get deceived if she didn't."

He considered the possibility, but it was ultimately guess-work. Like usual. "…You don't know that." Even now, he couldn't find an answer. Sayaka was the only one who _could_ answer. "I think, if Sayaka saw her idol group held hostage, she'd still have been victimized by Enoshima."

"I do know. Because there's someone Sayaka loved _more_ than her career." Komaru said, resolutely.

"How can you be so sure?" He squinted.

"I just do, okay! I'm sure you do too." Komaru said, frustration evident in her voice. Throughout their bickering, Komaru's rebuke distinctly reminded him of their mother's. Authoritative, direct and caring. A combination that compelled him to put up a white flag.

Makoto searched his memories and, in her voice, heard "**_What if I quit being an idol, so we could be together properly?"_**

"…I'll believe you, Komaru." He said.

I'll trust in that bond we shared.

* * *

"He won't be at work tomorrow then?" Kirigiri said on the other end of the phone

"Not if I can help it." Komaru replied, outside the unit to speak in private.

She heard an uncharacteristic laugh from the detective. "Thank you, Naegi-san. I was beginning to lose hope."

That dumb big brother of mine just needed a few reminders. "Nothing keeps him down for long. People treat Makoto like a hero, some even call him 'The Ultimate Hope'." As ridiculous to her as it sounds. Makoto was more of a heroine than a hero.

"I regret coining the term." Kirigiri said.

"Eh? You did?"

"I was rather impressed with Naegi at the time and forgot myself. Don't hold it against me."

"I won't."

"Hm. Once again, thanks for your assistance. I've learned that even the most stubborn men are weak to their little sisters. I'm sure that information will serve me well in the future."

Hehehe…Kirigiri-san, you're kind of terrifying. The women around Makoto often were.

…

Little Sister, huh?

_Komaru placed two drinks on the table. One for her. The other for Sayaka Maizono, who'd accepted with gusto._

_"Sooo, Makoto isn't home?" The bluenette asked, dropping by unannounced._

_"N-No. He went out with a friend." Komaru stuttered after inviting the girl inside. It'd been around a year or so since their catastrophic first meeting and Komaru still hadn't adjusted to the idol's presence. Especially after Komaru'd chanced on Sayaka and her brother doing…lewd things._

_What was up with that?! – She desperately wanted to ask, but no way in hell would she broach the topic._

_"Oh…and I came all this way…"_

_Stupid-Makoto. Buy a new phone already!_

_Sayaka's crestfallen expression quickly melted, leaving a bright smile in wake. "No big deal. I'll just spend my day with you then."_

_Haaa? "W-Why?!" That didn't come out right!_

_"You don't want to?"_

_"I do! B-But I'm not really interesting at all."_

_Her response only widened Sayaka's smile. "The same reaction. You siblings are so adorable!"_

_Komaru tilted her head in confusion. "Adorable…I am?" She asked like the star had spoken a different language._

_"You get even more flustered than he does. I've been meaning to fix that and there's no time like the present." Sayaka geared herself up, leaving Komaru dumbfounded by the development. One thing led to another and they ended up in Komaru's room. Both girls occupied the bed, Komaru's legs dangling off the edge, while Sayaka laid on her stomach, kicking her stocking-covered feet into the air as she flipped through pages of Komaru's manga volumes._

_ "Do boys like aggressive girls like these?" Sayaka asked, reading a chapter of Stalker Girlfriend. "From my experience, people with um…stalker-ish tendencies are a hard pass, but they end up together?"_

_"It's an acquired taste, I think. Guys are weird."_

_"Too true." She closes the book and plants it on the bed._

_"I-I'm not boring you, am I?" Komaru feared, her books were the only source of entertainment she could provide. The rest of the stuff in her room was mostly Sayaka merch._

_"Nope. These are fun, but if I'll be honest, I think you're much more interesting than these books."_

_Heat rose to Komaru's cheeks. "In what way?"_

_Sayaka sat upright on the bed as she explained. "You look meek on the outside but there's a hidden strength underneath. The same as your brother." Her gaze felt like it passed through Komaru._

_Is she reading my power level?_

_"Nope, I'm just psychic."_

_"What?!"_

_Sayaka giggled. "Kidding. I have good intuition. Well, not like I need it. After all, I remember how passionate you were about me the first time we met."_

_"Don't remind me." Komaru groaned. She'll never live that down._

_"Tell me about yourself, Komaru-chan; got any more hobbies." Sayaka bumped shoulders._

_"I-I…I don't know what to say." Komaru squeaked._

_"Hm, not going well." Sayaka deflated. "Maybe you'll feel more comfortable around me if I tell you about myself? I'll show you I'm not the unapproachable person you think I am."_

_"There's no way that's true. I already know a lot about you from your webpage bio." Komaru argued._

_Sayaka brought a finger to her lips. "In that case, let's play a game: If you've heard a description of my life before, just nod your head."_

_Not much of a game…but okay._

_"I began idol-training at age 5." She starts._

_Komaru nodded. Standard info right there._

_"I think Sky-blue canvas is my best work."_

_Komaru nodded sharply. It was her favorite too._

_"Satomi Aoba is my best friend."_

_She nods yet again. It was common knowledge that they were the foremost members of the idol group and had a sisterly bond._

_"I'm a size C."_

_Komaru reacted positively…much slower this time._

_"I love rose-hip tea."_

_Another nod. This wasn't on any sites. She'd seen first-hand how the idol obsessed over the stuff._

_"I'm dating Makoto Naegi."_

_She nodded, still unsure of how or when they became so intimate-Komaru gasped harder than when Makoto confessed that Santa wasn't real._

_"Lastly, I'm a teeny-bit scheming~" Sayaka said with a nefarious grin._

_Komaru shook her head. She, in fact, did not know that._

_"I-How?" Komaru could barely speak._

_"Intuition…that and I saw you peeking through the door. I don't usually do private shows, y'know."_

_"Hahahaha-Excuse me while I hang myself." Where's rope? Oh what the heck, she could improvise with her bedsheets._

_Sayaka grasps Komaru's arm before she could flee. "I'm not mad. Actually, I was wondering if you were alright with it."_

_"T-That's really none of my business. I-I mean I'm shocked Makoto even had a girlfriend." Komaru responds, her face a bright pink._

_"So is he, trust me." She giggled. "What about you, Komaru-chan? Any boys in your life?"_

_Getting pinker over here. "Nothing like that. Although, I do get called out by guys occasionally."_

_The pop sensation lightly smacked her on the back. "Atta girl. Boys at that age are easy to reel in."_

_"No, they're usually a lot older, I think."_

_"They're no good. Stay away from them." She deadpanned._

_"I figured. I'm not interested in dating. I don't think I even have a type. Maybe I'm a late bloomer." Girls in her classroom did the occasional "love-talk" but she never joined in._

_Sayaka patted her head affectionately. "Everyone develops at their own pace. For what it's worth, I was the same. Boyfriends were the last thing on my mind before I met your brother."_

_Komaru shifts between apprehension and mewling at the softness of the idol's hand on her head. "But why Makoto?" Focus girl._

_"Why not?" Sayaka chuckles._

_"A ton of reasons. Like how he's not manly, for one."_

_"But he's receptive and sweet."_

_"He's got no dating experience."_

_"He's supportive and it's not like I do either."_

_"He's a normal guy!"_

_"Makoto has a one-of-a-kind, positive attitude that makes me want to be around him. If I didn't take a leap and ask him out, I don't think I'd get the chance to find a guy like him again. I hope you understand."_

_She did, strangely enough. But all Komaru could think about were the negatives._

_Makoto was sensitive. He might be happy now – scratch that, there's no 'might' there, he's always got this dumb dazed smile on his face nowadays. But couples tend to break up and Sayaka was moving in a few weeks any way._

_It'll be his first breakup; he'll be heart-broken! And then…maybe he won't like Sayaka as much. Maybe he'll quit being a fan. Then she won't be able to mention the pop star in front of him, and he won't go her concerts. I won't be able to go either, not alone! My life would be over!_

_Her eyes swirled as beads of sweat tricked from her forehead. No No No! Calm down, Komaru, no point getting ahead of yourself. After all, some couples started dating from high school. You're still in the game! "I understand! No, I support your relationship 100%, so don't ever break up!" She grasped Sayaka's hands._

_The other girl couldn't contain her giggles and embraced her. "You're so precious. I've always wanted a little sister like you."_

_Sayaka's hugging me! This is officially the best day of my life!_

_"I won't break up with him. It'll be risky with my career on the line, but I'll pull through on my end." The idol pulled away, bringing up a curious point._

_"What risk?"_

_"Idols aren't supposed to pick favorites. I thought my number one fan might be against us being together."_

_Had she been worried about that? "I like your performances and your music, Sayaka. I'm not going to throw a tantrum because you're dating some guy." Though I am seriously jealous. "…But that's news to me. Your career isn't going to get in the way of you two, is it?" Or the other way around, hopefully._

_"Like I said, I won't let it. I hope that's true for your brother. But uh, I wanted to ask if you could keep it a secret. We haven't told anyone for that reason." Sayaka covered her mouth with a closed hand._

_Ah, this sounds complicated. "My lips are sealed."_

_"Thank you."_

_"But um…if let's say I goof and the secret does…get out. You won't be mad."_

_"Scandals are a whole lotta headache so I probably would be…for a little while at least. I'd try to smoothen things out…and if it doesn't work out, then that'd be the end of it." She says flippantly._

_"'…The end of what?"_

_"My idol career."_

_…_

_Komaru glitched out. "You're such a kidder." Always trolling me._

_"A year ago, I would think I've gone bonkers. Not so much anymore. I wouldn't even take losing my stardom too hard, because I don't need it. I have a second dream." Sayaka replied, fully serious._

_"What's that?"_

_"I can tell you, but on two conditions: One, you have to swear never to tell anyone. Ever. If you do, I'll get angry." She deadpanned._

_Komaru nodded._

_"Second, you'll treat me like you would anyone else. No more stutters." She drew in close_

_"I'll…try?" Komaru tried not to inch back._

_"Deal." Sayaka inhaled, then leaned to whisper into Komaru's ear._

_…_

_…._

**_LITTLE_ stopped running. Please scroll down the page to reboot._**

_"…What the hell are you talking about?!" Komaru raised her voice, forgetting herself completely. A tiny fissure appeared in her image of the flawless pop star._

_Sayaka backed away, nervously playing with her fingers. "I-I know it sounds nuts, but I really, __**really**__ like him." _

_"Even if you say that, it still sounds like you're trolling me or crazy. Makoto's only 16, I won't allow it!"_

_ "Not now, of course. In the future." Sayaka blushed heavily. It was so embarrassing it made Komaru relent and feel like she was picking on the older girl._

_'Makoto, what'd you do to her?' I thought Makoto was the lovestruck one, but even he doesn't have it this bad. I can totally see why she'd never want anyone to find out! "Your secret's safe with me." I don't think I could tell anyone else even if I tried._

_"Then, you'll be rooting for me, right?" Sayaka asked, timidly._

_Well, if it was only a hypothetical in the future… "Why the heck not?"_

_"You're the best, Komaru-chan!" She hugged her again. "I'll adore both of you together, little sis."_

_"Eeeeh?" Forward, unpredictable and extreme. Those were qualities the younger Naegi learned her idol had in spades._

_"Now then, the Sisters alliance is officially established." Sayaka fell back on the bed, kicking her legs into the air._

_"Come again?"_

_"You know, now that we're allies, you've got to help me out. At least while I'm away."_

_Komaru momentarily forgot Sayaka was moving. Yikes, long distance relationships are tough. "I'll help any way I can."_

_"Great. Let's exchange numbers." The bluenette brought out her cell._

_Komaru never imagined she'd receive such a heavenly gift this way. Sayaka Maizono was officially on her contacts. "So, what do I call you for?"_

_"Huh? Anything you want, even if it's to just talk or if you need advice." Sayaka said._

_"And for Makoto?"_

_"Nothing much, I just need you to keep tabs on him. Like tell me what makes him happy, what he likes, if he's feeling down, or if he's in trouble, if he needs support…"_

_Komaru smiled. A real worrywart._

_"Or if you happen to spot any thieving cats around him." Sayaka's smile was as angelic as Komaru had seen either on TV or her live performances…but what was this chill she was feeling?_

_"Cats?"_

_Sayaka tilted her head in confusion, as if what she'd said ought to have been clear. "Makoto's very likeable. He's bound to attract annoying pests buzzing around where they're not wanted. I'll rush down here to swat them away for him."_

_"Ahaha." Komaru laughed nervously. Sayaka didn't laugh with her, her eyes were a bottomless blue._

_ Oh dear. Good luck, Makoto. "Will do."_

_"Will do…? ~" Sayaka swayed slightly, looking at Komaru expectantly._

_The Naegi sibling furrowed her brows, then took a shot in the dark… "Will do…Sayaka...nee-san?"_

_The pop sensation's eyes sparkled, before tackling Komaru to the bed. The younger girl squirmed, unsure of how to react to the affectionate display but found herself smiling in conjunction with the idol's infectious laughter._

_And good luck to me too._

_Up close and personal…Sayaka-chan was a little strange – Komaru's thoughts are interrupted by a sudden squeeze from Sayaka._

_"...You're surprisingly well endowed~"_

_"W-Where are you touching?!"_

Komaru smiles at the memory. She'd brought her brother's blanket from his room, draping the cover over him while he slept on the couch. She smiled upon seeing his peaceful face, hardly believing this was the same Makoto that loved to laze around all day. Now he pushed himself so hard that she had to talk him into sleeping.

"He grew a lot when I wasn't looking."

* * *

For the first time in years, Makoto Naegi has a day off. In a way, it's more nerve wracking than going twelve rounds with documents that reach the ceiling. At work, he has directions and regulations. On this cold, sunny day? Makoto doesn't know what to do with himself.

What he does know, was that he had money. Lots of it, accrued over his long period as a freedom-fighter. It's about time he started using it. The first order of business were new clothes for the season. His old jacket combination no longer fit.

That fact made him happier than it had any right to.

Makoto leaves the clothing store, tightening the newly bought scarf around his neck – the green matching his eye color. He slides his hands into the pockets of his mid-length coat. Unlike the warm, green scarf Asahina had bought him. The hat doesn't protect him from the cold, nor do his glasses have practical applications of that nature either.

These items are a convenient disguise. No matter how much he preferred to think otherwise, Makoto Naegi is a celebrity. His features, once easy to blend into the background, now gained far too much attention for his liking. One more reason to hate the killing game. "I wonder if this is how Sayaka felt."

…

"But really what should I do?" He has no hobbies, if you don't count giving public speeches every weekend. He doubts his old methods of killing time will work for him anymore either.

"I wonder if Asahina's available. Or maybe Hagakure…" It now comes to Makoto's attention that his circle of friends is woefully limited. "I shouldn't take up their free time." Consequently, he'd become a very lonely man in his mid-twenties.

This was all Komaru's fault. For all her talk the previous night, she spent all her time with the writer.

He spies a crowd of civilians (was it wrong that his time at the foundation had him treating the people as a statistic to be protected?) nearby. "What's happening there?" He surveys his surroundings, catching the jerseys, camera flicks amidst the noise.

_Must be someone famous_ He thinks. Stars were an escape for many, away from the troublesome times. It was better now than last year. Far better than the year before that. Does he even need to compare it to the times when Enoshima was still alive?

He hadn't any interest but…why not revert to the Makoto who let himself be carried away by the latest fad?

He wades through the disorderly line until he spotted the source of the attraction.

Makoto squints, analyzing the vaguely familiar figure smiling for the cameras. The flashy mix of blonde and red hair filled him with nostalgia.

Besides the brunet, was a young boy, holding a soccer ball in both hands.

_No way _"Hey, would you happen to know who that guy in front is?" Makoto asks the kid.

"Huh? That's Takashi Kawashima."

…Just his luck. "…I see. Thanks."

The only person from the past he retained a connection to was Komaru…and it wasn't the same with her.

Makoto steels the excitement welling up in his chest, threatening to burst when he reached the front. Up close, Makoto spots the growth in appearance. Takashi is still his senior in height, and the gap had only widened. He rivals Hagakure in stature, but the athletic figure visible under the red top and black jacket, was closer to Kuwata's.

His turn finally comes. "Hey-"

Takashi's voice – deeper than Makoto remembered – cuts him off. "Name?" He inquires, twirling a black marker in hand.

Makoto frowns at the plastic reception. The impersonality _should_ have been expected, still…he can't help finding it annoying. Especially after the promise made, right before he disappeared.

"Hello?" Takeshi raises his eyebrow.

"…and here I thought my best friend in junior-high would actually remember me. Guess being famous _did go to your head_."

"What?" Makoto doesn't know if it was the sudden bombshell or the sudden bite delivering it that made Takashi gape. "Makoto?"

The ex-luckster sighs, disappointed in the both of them. He turned around.

"Don't walk away. Wait!"

He'd forgotten, you couldn't find a guy less reliable than Takashi. Of all the old friends to meet, it's the one who vanished into thin air and never bothered to keep conta-

A sharp wind blew past him, sending even his hat flying away. To be more precise, a soccer ball flew past the side of his face. Makoto cranes his head back to see Takashi's leg outstretched and the little boy -hands now empty- from earlier, bewildered.

"I told you to wait up!" The soccer star jogs over until he stands right in front of the dumbfounded Makoto.

"Is your head screwed on, right? What if that hit me?"

"Then that'd be your fault for not listening!"

"You snubbed me first!"

Takashi blinks and backs off. "That's true…Is it my fault then?"

"Yes."

"Is that how it is?"

"Ye-." Makoto wants to slap his forehead "You haven't changed a bit."

"Hold on, isn't that a little premature? We've only just met; I've changed a lot." He points to his face. "Take for example, how much ruggedly handsome I am."

"Besides. You're the one all dressed up. How the hell was I supposed to recognize you." Takashi does the worst possible thing he could in that situation and plucks Makoto's glasses faster than the foundation member could react.

"Heh. You on the other hand, haven't changed that much."

"Is that…Makoto Naegi?"

At the mention of his name, Makoto peeks d out to see the copious stares in their direction. Freeze-frame and Makoto had two options. Run, or prepare to cater an audience.

Then again, it's not like saying hi to a few people is all that ba-

Makoto's feels his arm, along with the rest of his body, strung along.

"Run!" Takashi dragged him like a ragdoll.

"W-Why are we running?!" Makoto asks, his own feet moving to keep pace, not daring to look back to the crowd hot on their trails.

"Why me?"

"I can't believe it. First thing I see of you and I'm running for my life." Makoto set a hot cup of coffee on the table.

After a game of cat and mouse, Makoto and the extra managed to lose their chasers. Against his better judgement, Makoto snuck the celebrity into his house.

Said miscreant lies on his sofa like he owns the place.

"I'm kinda surprised you could keep up. What happened to Mister. Zero Athleticism?"

"I was always average." And when you're going through warzones, you tend to build stamina. "If you'd gone up against Asahina, _you'd_ be left in the dust."

Takashi shifts to a sitting position and whistles. "That swimming hottie, right? She was great. Introduce me sometime and I'll lure her in with the best donuts in the country."

"How'd you know she loves donuts?"

Takashi pointed to the TV. "On that sick gameshow you were all in. Nighttime activities were my personal favs. I guess you were there too, but I got enough of your sleeping face back in school."

Makoto grimaces. "You're disgusting."

"I like to think of myself as honest." Takashi spreads his arms wide.

Makoto hops on the couch besides him. "It alright to be wasting time here. Some of your guys are probably looking for you."

"Let em. Feels nice to be rebellious once in a while."

"Once in a while?"

"My manager running me ragged. Even on my day off. I'm a pro soccer player, not a commerce." Takashi presses his lips together tightly. Makoto imagines his career must come with a lot of pressure. Not that he has ever been a stranger to stress- "But I can't blame him too much. I mean, who wouldn't want to market this pretty face?" He winks.

…

Makoto's eye twitched. "If your face is such a problem, mind if I take a crack at fixing it?"

Takashi sighs exaggeratedly. "Come on, man. After all this time, the same material. Why am I the only one you're mean to? Maybe you're even meaner than before…is it jealousy?"

Makoto blinks innocently. "It's the opposite. I'm worried about you. Always have been."

Takashi coughs. "_R-really_?"

"Yeah, it's exhausting on me to be aggressive like this, but you never gave me a choice." The ex-luckster shook his head. "I can't tell if you've noticed…but you're really, _really_ annoying. There's a friend of mine like you too, but I realized he was a lost cause when he asked if he could sell my organs. There's still hope for you and you've got some good points, which is why it's worth getting frustrated at your bad ones. If you think I'm angry a lot, then it's because you're too often of a disappointment." Makoto sipped his coffee.

"I-I feel like I just got told off by my mom." Takashi faces front in mild shock.

"The more I think about it. Junior high was less schooling and more babysitting for me." It might explain why he'd acclimated as well as he did to Hope's Peak.

"Guilty." The athlete concedes, resting back onto the sofa. His head zaps from corner to corner. He twists his body and hangs off the back of the chair, peering out the glass door and to the outside. "This place is real comfy, and the town is nice. Show me around some time."

That would be…difficult. "I technically live here, but…I can't say I really know the place."

Takashi scrunches his face. "Did you just move in?"

"Only if just moving in extends to about 3 or more years." Makoto scratches his cheek.

"…I don't get it. Did you become a NEET?"

"If that were true, how would I pay the rent?"

"Hope bucks."

"That's kind of right. I'm…really busy, helping put the world back together with the future foundation. Not much time for…anything else, really. Actually, my sister and friends pulled an intervention." Takashi's wide-eyed. "More like ganged up on me and locked me out of my office."

The blond cups his mouth, crocodile teared. "My Naegi, who never did anything in school but take the first bus home and play video games…is a workaholic. I won't stand for this!"

"No." Makoto deadpans.

"I haven't even said anything."

"I know how this goes. You're thinking of something dumb. No, you're not _thinking_ at all. You'll just wing whatever comes into your head and drag me along. It's not happening."

Takashi groans. "Could you stop acting like I'm still 15 years old? _I've matured_."

A ball blows past Makoto, into the soccer net behind him.

"…It's -15 degrees." The brunet said succinctly.

"Life is an adventure, and the appeal, is the unknown." Takashi dramatically flips the front strands of his hair.

"…So when you said you'd matured. You meant doing the same thing…but framing it pseudo-intelligently?"

"It got you out here, didn't it?"

Makoto said nothing and throws the damn ball back.

It lands next to Takashi's leg. They'd settled not far from his house and Takashi insisted they'd play a few rounds with Makoto as the goalkeeper.

"By the way, are you sure you won't get in trouble skipping out on your manager?" Makoto asks.

Takashi abruptly kicks the soccer ball. "Woah" Makoto jumps to the right too late to catch it.

"Tsk tsk. Get your head in the game, hero." Takashi wags his finger. "Maybe I should add a punishment game for when you lose. You always get really tough when your back's against the wall."

"Understatement of my life." Makoto kicks the ball over to him. "Luck's the only reason I'm even alive."

"I knew you'd make it out of that school, if anyone could. The whole conveyor belt/jackhammer execution was cutting it close though. Aiko-chan and I almost had a heart attack."

"Don't remind me." Makoto had nightmares about that… "Hold on. Miura-san?"

"You remember her?"

"It's hard to forget." Makoto smiled wryly.

"Don't tell her, but she was freaking when you nearly got executed. All three times. Of course, I knew there was no way you'd ever die. You even survived all my attempts in junior high."

Rewind. "Attempts?"

Takashi nods sagely. "Take for example. Filling your ice-coffee with laxatives."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Makoto creases his eyebrows.

"You probably wouldn't know because it never worked. Each time, something dumb would happen and you'd get out of it. At first I thought it was coincidence but after the 6th time…"

"SIX TIMES?"

"I am a vengeful man." Takashi holds his hands like a Buddhist in prayer.

"…Vengeful for…?"

. "This and that." The non-answer coupled with the sudden drop in enthusiasm evoked Makoto's curiosity.

"Hello."

The pair direct their attention to a wary little girl. A bit farther back are a group of other boys and girls watching anxiously. Makoto recognizes one as the boy next to him in line.

Don't tell me…

"What's up, miss?" The oblivious one asks.

"Um…could you give my brother his ball back?"

Takashi gasps. "Oh crap. I'm really sorry about that." He gently places the ball in the girl's hands. Lucky for them, Takashi picked it up when they were running away.

"Thank you." She spins around and waves the round object overhead. The other kids run forward.

"Y-You're Kawashima-san, right?" The younger brother asks.

"That's me. My bad. I met an old friend and got carried away." The requests and inquiries were answered, but curiosity remains.

"Aren't you cold?" One of the other children speaks up. "Dad says it's bad to play in the winter, so why are you doing it?"

"That's because exercise can keep a man warm through anything. Even if I ran around naked, I wouldn't feel a thing as long as my feet are moving." Takashi smugly jerks his finger at his chest.

Makoto waves his hand dismissively. "Please listen to your parents. Big brother over there is just a weirdo."

"A weirdo." "Cool." The kids observe the eccentric older man even more fervently.

Makoto had forgotten. At that age, strange also equaled being interesting.

"You gonna show off to kids?"

"If it makes them happy, what's the problem?" Takashi said.

…

Makoto glances at the children, wide smiles spread on each face.

"…You're right." Personal happiness was the most important thing.

"Hey, to make it up to you. Would you guys like to play a match with us? There's just enough people~" Takashi proposes.

"Can we?" The children's faces brighten.

"That cool with you?" Takashi asked.

"Sure. But on one condition."

"Speak and the great Me shall allow it."

"I'm holding you to that punishment game."

"Bye bye!" The kids wave energetically.

"Get home safe." Takashi called out.

Makoto waved back. He wasn't sure if he should say this at his age…but youth was dazzling. The cheer the kids had shown playing made him ashamed to feel anything but the brightest emotions.

"Shall we go, hero-san?" Takashi said.

"To my place?"

"Now what'd I say about adventure? The night's still young."

Makoto gives up and follows the taller male's footsteps, trekking on a path to nowhere, passing the time with meaningless conversation.

"I still can't believe you've never been out here. You've been a tourist for three years." Takashi said, as they browsed the populated downtown area.

Ever since escaping Hope's Peak Academy…what had he done with himself? He travelled sure, but those were all missions. Tourism was the equivalent of blowing the heads off a Monokuma in a Chinatown somewhere.

As such, he lacks an appropriate answer, so he responds with his own statement of disbelief. "I can't believe you're good with children."

"I've got many talents. Teaching the sport I love just happens to be one." The star sticks his chin up and leans back with his arms resting behind his head. "Then again, I can't take all the credit. The little twerps were pretty good."

"You were also right about staying warm." With all the running around they did (even when slowing down for the kids), he barely felt the cold.

"You might as well start calling me the grandmaster and maybe you'll learn a thing or two." Takashi flamboyantly spins in place and poses. A perpetually happy man, this one. Or so it had often seemed. "Well, I guess you still put up a decent fight. Maybe if you practice a few more years, you might be half as good as I am."

"Maybe…but why are you talking so big when you lost?"

Takashi's smirk wipes clean off. "It was dumb luck, not skill. And don't forget it."

The real reason was probably that he'd held back for the kids. "Whatever the case, my team won, and you have to pay up." Makoto said.

Takashi huffs and shoves his hand into his pockets. "What could the savior of the world want from little old me anyway?"

"Stop." Makoto stresses. The moniker, coming from strangers, was a misunderstanding he put up with. From people he knew…the people who knew him ought to know better. It made him feel like something he wasn't. It wasn't a title he deserved "I'm still just the same Makoto. I didn't save anyone. I only helped my friends save themselves." A real hero would have escaped both killing games with everyone alive.

Takashi eyes him with an unreadable expression.

_…I could never tell what he was thinking. Now or back then._

"Why did you disappear after graduation?" Naegi asked.

"…That's it? You're wasting your win on small-time stuff like that?"

"I am."

Takashi goes silent for a few moments, then "We went to different schools."

"…So you won't answer my question?"

"I figured that wouldn't fly…" Takashi rubs the back of his neck. "Hmm…I guess we could still have had limited contact once we were in high school...but I didn't want that. I'd have preferred never seeing you again."

The rejection hit Makoto like an avalanche. He glances at his friend (?) in shock. "Was it something I did?"

"You'd never understand." Takashi doesn't look his way.

"After all I've seen, it'd take a lot to surprise me."

"Damn you're nosy. Like a friggin detective or something." The celebrity rakes his fingers through his hair. "…"

His voice is almost a whisper. "I didn't catch that."

"…-lous."

"…Come again?"

"I was jealous, okay!" Takashi shouts, burning with humiliation. "Thanks to you, I screwed up my first love."

Makoto blinks. "…That doesn't clear anything up. What are you talking about?"

Takashi smacks his forehead. "…You went out with Maizono, didn't you?"

…

No way…

"You were serious about that?"

Pure silence.

Makoto doubles over, clutching his sides as laughter spews it.

"Are you really losing it right now?!"

"S-Sorry." Makoto wipes a tear from his eyes. "Weren't you the one always making jokes about 'killing me'?" That he never acted out on. Looking at it now, it was so silly. "How'd you even know about me and Sayaka anyway? We only started dating…in secret, the night of the dance."

"You'd have to be an idiot not to notice. Just about everyone had a hunch there was something going on with you two." The bitter explanation confirmed the man's sincerity.

It wasn't a joke after all.

Makoto looks down "I'm a little sad though. I…didn't think a girl would be enough to break our friendship." He hadn't thought their friendship had broken at all. Just lost to time like too many others.

"I knew you wouldn't understand."

"What's not to get?" Who wouldn't have loved Sayaka in school? "I only figured you would have been open with me and we might have had a chance to sort things out. I wouldn't have hated you or anything…or would you have hated me?" He says with a hopeful look.

"I was afraid to find out." Again, Takashi has difficulty meeting his gaze.

"…" No elaboration or correction follows.

"I see. That's too bad then."

Their conversation ends there. They return to aimless wandering, enveloped by silence.

Makoto considers if he should have kept his inquiries to himself.

_If Takashi had liked Sayaka and seen what happened the killing game. Then…maybe he blamed me for her death. _

_It wouldn't be a lie-_

"Do you remember how me met?" Takashi suddenly snaps Makoto out of his thoughts.

"Sometimes, I think I still hear the gym teacher's yells ringing in my ear. What was his name again?"

"Hell, if I remember. All I know is we got in so much shit cause of me." Takashi laughs as if the tense mood had been a mirage. There's no way it could have been. Was it an act? If so, when did it begin? "Anyone else would have wanted nothing to do with me after that. Especially on the first day."

"If we're both being honest here. I kind of thought the same, but you're the one who followed me around." Makoto admits, this line of discussion felt familiar. "Not that I regret it."

"And that's what matters." He said with a pointed finger. "Even if I annoyed you, you never pushed me away. You never hated me or called me a loser like the others. You accepted me unconditionally and pushed me to be better. Not even my old man ever did."

"You make it sound like it was a chore." Makoto clarifies. "You had a lot of good points."

"You said that before…what part of me exactly?" His tone takes on a hopeful quality.

"For better or worse, school was always worth looking forward to because you were there." Makoto confesses. "Someone told me that memories are proof that your life has been worthwhile. It's because of you and Sayaka that I had so many good ones at junior high. I'm proud to have known you."

Makoto notices his partner wasn't besides him when Takashi doesn't immediately reply. He turns back to see the athlete frozen in place, his expression grave and earnest.

Lacking his trademark aloofness, Takashi tenses then asks, "Back then…If I'd had the courage to tell you who I liked and confessed...would you have broken things off with Maizono?"

The passerbys maneuvering around them, the cars racing down the road, the overall vibrance of the downtown district, they all melted into the background.

Without hesitation, Makoto answers, "Not even if you begged me."

Takashi's lowers his brows and narrows his eyes into a glare. "Even if I'd grow to hate you?"

Makoto returns the cold gaze with a half smile. "Why would I care about your jealousy?"

Takashi's face stains with resentment. "You-" Whatever words he'd intended, however harsh, never reaches the surface. Suddenly, his mouth parts in surprise. Derisive laughter leaves his mouth. "Ha…ahaha. Shit, I said that, didn't I?"

"Yeah." Makoto selfishly adds "Even so, I'd still have wanted to stay friends, no matter what."

Takashi's lips thin. "You've always had a knack for hitting where it hurts."

"I just speak from the heart. That's never changed." It might be the one thing about him that remained unfettered over the years. Despair and the tragedy couldn't change that about himself.

Takashi looks to the side; various deep-seated emotions leak and battle against each other. He inhales deeply. The corners of his mouth turn up and his face lifts. Finally, he walks.

"You…don't hate me now. Do you?" Makoto asks as the taller man stands by his side once more.

Takashi slings an arm over Makoto's neck. "Shouldn't that be obvious from the way I treat you?"

* * *

Byakuya Togami scowls when he walked into his office. Once a place of dignity, and a haven away from mediocrity, now infested with roaches who never seemed to leave him alone. These insects the masses called "friends".

"What's with that face?" Aoi Asahina barks, like she wasn't in _his_ domain, planting her rear on his spotless desk.

"G-Good evening, master!" Toko Fukawa practically throws the younger Naegi sibling to the side as she approached him.

"Are they still going?" He asks, glancing at the radio in the middle of the desk. Asahina, Hagakure and even Kirigiri surrounding the device. The last was especially annoying. _She was sitting in his chair._

"Don't any of you have better things to do?"

"Not at the moment no." The detective replies coyly.

"How long have you been at this?"

"It was Naegi's day off, and we totally thought he'd ask us to go out." Asahina crosses her arms, pouting.

"And you held these assumptions…why?"

"It's not like he has other friends besides us, right?" She whines "We'd wait for him to get all mopey being alone, then we'd swoop in and have him join us for a killer night out. We'd been planning this for days!" She says all this, not feeling an ounce of shame or concern for the illegalities and immoralities that came with bugging Naegi's clothes.

"That was the plan…then this chad popped out of nowhere. And they've been hitting it off since. Sounds like they're old buddies too." Hagakure adds.

"Is that so? Well, this sort of thing tends to happen at reunions. No need to get jealous." Byakuya said.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Byakuya winced at the noise coming from the Naegi girl.

"For real, that Takashi guy plays soccer, right? I'll get my revenge by making him eat my dust." Asahina pumps her fists.

"Not that." Komaru Naegi's arms tremble with indignation.

"What are you crying about?" Fukawa chides her friend.

"Two best friends in love with the same girl? T-This is a textbook manga scenario and Makoto got the good parts AGAIN! Why does he always get all the good drama, it's not fair!" The normal girl settles on Byakuya. Her nose crinkles in distaste. It fades and is replaced by misguided determination.

"…Toko, let's fight for Togami's heart!"

Fukawa gawks. "Are you insane?"

("What heart?") ("Think she's drunk on adrenaline?") Asahina and Hagakure whisper to each other.

"It's classic bonding. It'll be fun. Even more fun if you'd liked a better guy."

"How dare you? Master is perfect in every way."

"That's the spirit."

The Togami heir signals to Kirigiri.

The lilac haired a girl chuckled. "If they're happy. Why stop?" She listens in on the radio, Naegi's voice rings out, bereft of the sadness and guilt that accompanied the man like a shadow whenever he spoke to them.

…She hopes it was a sign of good things to come. Believing that the future will always get better…that's what it means to have hope.

* * *

Makoto stares at the monolith of a club, gaudy bright lights escaping the windows and music blaring loudly enough that he had to yell to be heard clearly, outside.

"I'm still not sure about this, Hagakure?" He turned to his partner. Hagakure was notable less scruffy than usual. His usual raggedy-yellow shirt was replaced by crimson, with a logo in front, it didn't clash terribly with his sash. He exchanged his usual rolled up pants for blue jeans and his sandals, for compact boots. Makoto would daresay the clairvoyant looked good for the most part. Yet, all that effort was counterbalanced into the negatives by his horrendous trademark hairstyle. All he did was tie back in a ponytail.

The older male tips his shades downward. "Lighten up, Naeggs. We'll be seeing gray hairs on you if you don't chill once in a while." He slaps Makoto on the back.

"I think I'm less stressed working."

"That's cuz' this is your first time. Just…don't tell Kirigiri-chi and Asahina-chi about this."

"I thought you got their approval?" Makoto tilts his head.

"Yeah, to take you out, not to a _mixer_."

"Why again?" Hagakure had approached Makoto with an invitation to a mixer party earlier this week. The brunette had just finished the preparations for the re-opening of Hope's Peak in the spring. Hagakure seized that opening and…here we are.

"You're 27, dude. That's time for you to settle!"

Makoto self-reflected. 27. He was quite a bit taller than his high-school days. A bit muscular too, thanks to the arduous work at the future foundation. For the evening, he'd stuck with a plain outfit befitting his disposition. A silver necklace atop his black and blue-striped muscle shirt, ending at his elbows, with his hands covered by black sleeveless gloves. His black jeans were held by leather studded belts. Although to a lesser extent than Hagakure, his own hair wasn't up to snuff, but not for a lack of trying. Ahoges never die.

"Settle? Hope's Peak will re-open soon. I'm only getting started." Besides, he was…what, 30? What was his excuse.

"Everything's an argument with you, I'm thinking all those trials poisoned your brain." Hagakure wrapped an arm around Naegi's neck. The smaller man inhaled the scent of booze. Was he already drunk? How is he even going to _talk_ to the girls? "Think of it like this. Headmasters are in charge of the parents' kids; won't you get more respect if you're a family man yourself?"

"That's…a good point. But I'm not getting married for that reason."

"Don't have to. Tonight's just…taking baby steps."

"Tonight sounds like a bad idea." Makoto raked his hair "Just…try not to get too drunk."

Multi-colored lights flashed his eyes as they entered the party; the duo maneuvered their way through the crowd until they reached their section. Turns out, Hagakure didn't have much to worry about, because the others looked about as inebriated as he.

"Yo, Hiro." One of the men called, evidently familiar with his friend. Makoto noted a shortage compared to the women in the room. Speak of the female persuasion, Makoto's eyes scanned their-would-be conversational partners. Pretty, all of them. Diluted somewhat by that drunken state.

Maybe this was normal, and he was too accustomed to serious and prudish women like Kyoko and Aoi.

"Sup guys. This here's my friend, _Makoto Naegi_." Hagakure introduced him, and sure enough, he saw the glimmering reception.

Looks like his name still does that to people…

"Nice to meet you all." He waved as he was pelted deja vu. What the heck, one bad decision couldn't hurt.

…

He was wasted within the hour. Strangely enough, he'd been cognizant of it, but couldn't do anything to _stop_.

"Dude, take your own advice." Hiro smirks from across the room, high off marijuana. "My job as a responsible friend is done." He frequented the establishment as a bit of a part-time job. That being fortune-telling for other attendants. He'd made a killing off the last customer.

The clairvoyant stood and left the room, twirling his crystal ball. He journeyed to his usual spot, setting up a small table him for to us-

"Hello there." A voice calls out to him. If there's one fact Hagakure had learned on his journey through life. It was that chicks with sexy voices, _are_ sexy. From a glance, this babe was no exception. Silky black hair, most of its length hanging down one side. A black dress reaching midway down her thigh and held by thin straps circling her neck. Topped off with a small gray jacket and accessories.  
She had a figure that was nearly Hina level. Coupled with being one hell of a dresser and that expensive necklace…she was also rich.

Cha-Ching.

"How may I help you?" He said to his money.

She flashed a cool smile. "You're Yasuhiro Hagakure. The fortune teller."

"My reputation precedes me. Looking to have your future read?" Of course you are. And wouldn't you know it, prices have gone up 5000%.

"Not exactly. I actually have a roommate, her name's Kasumi." Sounds familiar…oh right, the last girl. "She came to you 5 days ago for a reading, spending several thousand. She was going through a rough time, and understandably needed a positive outlook. But that money wasn't really _hers_ to spend."

Ah. If there's another thing life taught him, it was how to spot a bad situation from a mile away. "Say no more. I've got my case in the back. I'll be right out." He lied.

"Thank you."

Heh. Sucker.

Hiro coolly leaves the woman behind, returning to the mixer. It was a funny sight to see Makoto chatting up girls actively pouring him more booze, but um…he had to ruin it. "Yo, Naegicchi. We've got to split, right now!"

"Huh? Why?" He asks, dumbly.

"Because-" A finger taps his shoulder from behind. He turns and uh…yeah, she was standing right behind him.

"You must think I'm dumb as bricks to fall for the oldest trick in the book." She said, still smiling. Her eyes weren't though.

"Geh!" He chokes as she grabs his collar with both hands.

"The money. Now." She hissed, reminding him of a viper…or those yakuza guys he stole from way back.

"Leave him alone, you bully." His drunken savior cuts in between him and the woman, leaving Hiro with room to breathe.

Her nose twitches, smelling the alcohol. "Move, I don't have any business with you-…" Recognition flashes in her eyes. "Naegi. Fancy meeting you in a place like this." She focuses her attention all on him.

"That's me." Makoto points to himself. He'd only heard his name and blanked out the rest.

She looks him over for a few moments, then shakes her head in disappointment. "You're drunk."

"No I'm not."

She crosses her arms. "That's exactly what a drunk would say. Sorry to cut the reunion short, but I have important-…" She looks over, then back, then to the side.

Hagakure was gone.

One frustrated sigh later, she glares at Makoto.

He shifts, nervously. This person is scary. "W-What are you, Hagakure's ex?"

She ignores the question. "You're his friend. You know how to contact him."

Makoto nods, then reaches for his cellphone. He reads the newest text aloud "Gotta lay low for a bit. Find…your way home." The man reads slowly. It was a miracle he'd managed even that. "I don't think he's coming back."

The raven-haired woman pinches her forehead. "Well then, that just leaves you to pay up, since you're the one who let him escape."

"How much?" He says while swaying. Money wasn't a problem when you overwork yourself to the bone at the then largest organization in the world, for years. "Oh but my wallet's at home. If you want me to pay, you have to come with."

"Is it far?"

"Not really. S'20 minutes by walk, I think."

She clicked her tongue. "I don't know why I'm trusting a drunk, but I won't have wasted my time coming here. You'll definitely pay, right?"

He nods. "But um…Hagakure not here. It'd be wrong for me to ditch him."

The woman sighs again, following up with a bemused smile. "Looks like you've still got no eye for friends."

Still? "Do I know you?"

"I doubt you'll remember, but the name's Aiko. Aiko Miura."

...

"Miura. Miura. Miura…san." Makoto repeats the vaguely familiar name, walking besides the woman in question, who steadied him on the sidewalk, his arm draped over her shoulder.

"Ah! The mean girl who gave me the oversized jacket in middle school." He shouts.

"_That's_ how you remember me?" Miura's eyebrow twitches. "Still such a baby."

"You're just a bully."

"If I were a lesser woman, I'd drop you."

"You're not. You were always so cool and pretty. Now you're cooler and prettier."

"Flattery'll get you nowhere with me. Don't worry, I won't hold this confession against you when you're sober."

"Thank you…wait, I'm not drunk."

"Ugh…" Miura spies a bench, then decides she's a lesser woman after all. She dumps Makoto onto the seat, hand gripping her strained shoulder.

"Ow." Makoto whines.

"You're too big and carrying you around is humiliating. Why is there always a big mess whenever you're involved?"

"I dunno. Why didn't you call a taxi?" He pouts.

"No cash, I left my wallet at home."

She earns a laugh from hi,. "That's a pretty lame mistake." He quiets at her chilling stare.

Miura grabs a white pack and lighter from her purse. "I intentionally left it there. When you're dealing with crooks and scam artists, you don't want to give them any ammo. That friend of yours is one fish in a sea of sharks."

"Sounds like you have it rough." He said.

"Who doesn't?" She flips the pack open and pulls a cigarette bud. The lighter burns the edges.

"Smoking is bad for you." He frowns at the act.

"Are you my father?" She blows smoke.

"No, but I'm going to be a headmaster."

She blinks, intrigued. "Oh? What school?"

"Hope's Peak Academy. It'll reopen in a month's time."

Her eyes widen a fraction. She presses her hand against her mouth as she laughs. "That's unexpected. I used to laugh at teachers, and anyone who wanted to be one. Looking at you though, I can't help but admire what you've become." She smiles gently.

Makoto returns the gesture with one of his own, along with a "Thanks, I'm proud of myself too. What about you?"

"Ever heard of Amoré?"

"Yeah, the designer brand." He noted her mild surprise with mirth. "I bought a pair of pricey latex gloves as a birthday gift for a friend last year. My sister told me it was one of the best around."

"She has good taste. I'm the fashion designer and head of that company." Miura revealed.

"That's great, Miura-san. You got your dream job!" He cheered, unperturbed by the woman's less than pleased reaction.

She caressed her temples, looking away from him. "You barely recalled my name, but you remembered _that_?"

"It's coming back to me bit by bit." He snickered. "It must have been tough to come this far in spite of the setbacks." It needn't be elaborated on what he referred to.

"Want to know how?"

"If you're willing to share."

"I didn't pick fights. I didn't look for drama. If trouble came looking for me, I'd settle it in a way where it wouldn't bite me in the ass later. When everyone else was scrambling over the latest twisted fad, I kept my head low and mastered my art. To summarize, I don't overextend myself. You'd be surprised how much danger you can avoid that way." She explains.

It was a sensible way of life, but Makoto knew that couldn't have been all there was, with the tragedy be anything but reasonable. He didn't press the issue further, however.

Miura raised her head, peering at the clouds. "At least that red gone. It felt like I was in a dumb manga whenever I looked at the sky."

"There's nothing dumb about manga." He countered.

She chuckled. "Sorry, didn't mean to insult your hobbies."

"No offense taken." He stood off the bench, approaching her. His gaze followed her own, to the blue-lit moon. "We used to have hopes. About the future."

"But all we inherited was garbage, wasn't it? Not exactly what our parents or everyone before us had in mind." She exhaled smoke.

"That's true." He agreed. Everything they made and accomplished in adulthood, was born of their own blood, sweat and tears. "But it's our job to make sure the ones after us have it better. I think we're off to a great start." Makoto scratches his cheek.

"Spoken like a real man of education." She mocks.

"Yeah, well if you put it that way, as '_a man of education'_, I also have to insist you stop smoking." He swiped the stick from her mouth with his fingers, let it fall to the ground and stomped on it.

Miura watches the process with a blank face. "Ballsy, Naegi-kun. You wouldn't have had the guts in the old days." A challenging smirk present on her features. "But I hope you don't think a lecture is getting me to quit. I can't get through the day without one of these things."

"Don't underestimate your own willpower, Miura-san. Nobody needs poison." Makoto chides, returning her challenge with a subtle invitation of his own. "And if you wouldn't be the first person I've gotten to quit. All it takes is a little persistence."

"Is that your way of saying this won't be a one-night reunion?"

"I don't see why it has to."

"Fair enough. I _did_ interrupt your fun at the party. As thanks: I'll say my number just once." She took out her phone. "You ready? Here I go."

"Too fast, Miura." Makoto fumbled for his own cell.

"Call me Aiko. My close friends all do." She said, as the exchanged digits.

"I didn't know we were that close." Makoto tilted his head; his memories didn't help on that front.

"Old middle school buddies, is a closer and longer connection than most in the world have left."

He couldn't argue with that. The whole time, Miura hadn't inquired about him and the killing game that hacked every channel and was broadcasted world-wide. She hadn't directly brought up any sad memories of Sayaka or some of the many friends they'd lost contact with.

Was it coldness. Doubtful, she'd never been cruel, as he'd reaffirmed through the conversation.

"What's the smile for?" She asks.

"Thinking that you're still as cool as ever."

"Hm? You're sober now, then that outburst before was the truth?" She pressed the phone to her lips.

He nods.

"Well thank you, but don't think a few sweet words will let you skimp out on paying your friend's bill."

"Didn't hurt to try." He shrugs

* * *

"This looks familiar." Makoto mutters, as he found himself in that odd dreamscape. He looks at the glassy floor, his reflection was that of his 17-year-old self, with that old parka and green sweater combo he wore everywhere.

The boy finds Her, standing there alone "Haven't had one of these dreams in a while." He says. This dreamlike Sayaka didn't seem nearly as terrifying as he remembered. Or maybe this Sayaka was a different person altogether.

Sayaka gives him a playful pout. "It's a little grating I've been reduced to a figment of your subconscious."

"I wouldn't say that. If I made you up, why can't I read your mind or predict what you'll say?"

"Hm…dunno. I've always been the one with good intuition. Why don't you try guessing my thoughts for once?"

"I'll play ball: You're…going to tell me to die?" Makoto jokes, relaxing his arms over his shoulders.

The bluenette sticks out her tongue. "Wrong, not unless you've done anything to warrant it. No, I was going to ask for new scenery. This wasteland is _bleak_."

"I can do that?"

"It's your dream."

Good point. Makoto presses a finger against his chin, then eureka. "I got it." He closes his eyes, trying to visualize the most beautiful scenery he'd ever come across.

"Here. Really?" He heard her speak. His eyes flickered open and sure enough, they were at the beach in Sayaka's hometown. That gorgeous view of the sun dimming over the ocean took his breath away even now.

"It's the best I can do." He reached his hand out for her to take. She stares at his outstretched palm with uncertainty and, as if she'd only remembered how to move her feet, she closes the distance towards him, entwining her fingers with his.

"You've gotten some confidence. You couldn't touch me without blushing like crazy before." Sayaka says with a teasing smile as he drags her to the edge of the beach, the tide brushing past their legs.

"It's confidence I've gotten through my life experiences and the good and bad that came with it."

"You can talk like that now too, without the survivor's guilt. That's good." Sayaka said, crouching on the ground, gripping the wet sand, letting the mounds dissolve and slip through her fingers.

"I've been looking for an all this time. I think I found it some time ago, but I want to hear from you." He says.

"You think you'll find a worthwhile answer in a dream?"

"Whether it's worthwhile or not…is up to me decide."

"Then ask away."

"Were we right to be together?" He rephrases the question he once asked her alter ego.

Sayaka hums. "Our relationship was toxic, that was my fault. But that's not to say it was all bad, little by little I started to change, improve myself. I even remembered one of the reasons I became an idol – to encourage lonely girls just like me. I thought I could…one day become like you. As strong as you. A day would come when I didn't need to be an idol anymore."

"I wonder what you'd do after. You're not the type of girl to sit still." He teases.

"Wrong. What I wanted to do the most…was to put the breaks on my turbulent life."

"Huh?" He stared down at her, his face eliciting genuine surprise.

"You joked that my dad might be crazy…you might have been right." She brought up her parent suddenly. "I hear that after mom died, he threw himself into work, never opened up to anybody, never got therapy. I was his only companion and he worked his hardest to give me a rich lifestyle, where he didn't have a penny."

"I can relate to that." Makoto said. Maybe Sayaka had a point all those years ago. He could have gotten along with her father.

"I wanted to repay him, my mom and myself one day…by settling down, accomplished, and becoming a wife and a mother. To have a normal family." Her eye lashes flutter as she smiles in a way that always made his heart race "And I don't think my wish could come true with anyone other than you. You'll help me, won't you?" She asks.

He smiles, putting himself in the role. "Nothing would make me happier. I've supported your dream of being an idol, but I think I'd support that dream even more."

A moment of laughter passed between them.

Sayaka's eyes lidded, gazing downwards in regret. "Maybe in another time, another place, that dream could come true. But not here. Not anymore. I squandered that chance and reverted back to that scared, impulsive girl."

"Then we'll wait for that chance to come again." He crouches down next to her, touching their shoulders together. "Don't you know; I hear reincarnating in a new world is a big hit nowadays."

Sayaka giggles. "No thanks."

"I'm serious. Even if it didn't work out this round, maybe there'll be another time, and another place for us. We'll try as many times as it takes until we get it right." He leaned against her.

"There's that optimism again."

"Yeah, but you like that about me, don't you?"

Sayaka tilts her head to meet his, staring at the horizon together. "It's funny, I always wanted to be loved, to be remembered _always_. I even wished on those fireworks that you'd never forget me. I wonder if that's why I'm still here and that you haven't forgotten me. You're kind like that, so nice. So honest. So, understanding. So **soft**." She grips his fingers tightly. Content, she whispered "It's fine, Makoto. You can forget me now."

…

"I won't." He declared, to her shock. "Don't get me wrong. It's not sad. The memories make me happy, so I'll carry them along with me." He met her gaze with defiance and a promise.

"I was lucky to have met you." Sayaka breaks into a smile. One without a trace of sadness or despair.

"Me too."

Makoto leaned into a soft kiss, savoring the sensation one last time.

...

His eyes open and the dream ends. The beach was gone, overturned by the walls of the café he'd dozed off in.

Makoto checked his watch, the hand moved, signaling 12:05 am. Only a few minutes.

*yawn*

All the documents sprawled out on the table filled him with apprehension. Who'd have thought being the headmaster of Hope's Peak could be so difficult? The school wouldn't reopen for 3 months and he was already plagued with paperwork. He had renewed respect for Kirigiri-san.

He picks up the cup of tea he'd ordered, grateful that it was still warm when the liquid past his lips. The slight bitter aftertaste calmed his nerves.

_"And we're back with our main guest."_

Makoto's ears pick up on the announcement. His gazed around the (empty) café, stopping at the television screen. There, he saw a young woman with short red hair. Pretty didn't quite describe her. "Princess-like", was out. An androgynous beauty was best, in his opinion.

It'd been a long time, but he recognized her at a glance, even before her name was uttered.

_"Our nation's top solo idol, Sakura Minami."_

_"Happy New Year, everybody!"_ A loud and vibrant presence, more refined than before.

_"Haha…feisty as always, Mina-chan. I hear that's the secret to your success. Speaking of which, how does it feel to be number one in the ratings again?"_

"_What can I say? Even if everyone else gives it a 100%, I'll match em with 120%. They bring 150 and I'll go 200."_

_"I dunno what logic that follows, but it sounds like you're putting in the effort!"_

It wasn't arrogance – Makoto thought. That confidence had been sharpened by experience, and honed into a powerful weapon, fitting a champion.

_"Everyone's itching to know more about you, Mina-chan, but you barely come on TV or the radios. Got a reason?"_

_"I'm a hands-on kind of girl. If anyone's got something to ask, then come talk to me in person."_

_"It sounds like those rumors about you making public appearances are true."_

The small talk carried and back and forth, with the idol barely giving an inch.

_"It's new years, you've gotta give us something."_

_"I'll answer one question, no strings attached."_

_"Thank you." A brief pause. "The top voted question fans want answers to: Your favorite song from the last 15 years!"_

_"Ah. Skip the timeframe, this is my favorite no questions asked, but it's a specific, one-time version…can we play it?"_

_"Of course, just give us a second!"_

There was an even longer pause this time. And then **_"Without deciding where to meet tomorrow, we parted our ways." _**Makoto coughed as he heard his own, younger voice. Which was quickly followed up by Sayaka's.

_"Oho, Monochrome Answer. What a pick!"_

Makoto found himself in agreement. And his iteration of all things?

_"A hit for sure and sang by none other than The Sayaka Maizono. Nothing to be said about her…but the male singer. Is that Makoto Naegi?! The Ultimate Hope on stage with the country's former number one idol. Talk about a love letter for the audience. There are even rumors Monochrome Answer was based on Naegi."_

_"Haha, don't know about that. He wasn't famous back then, so it's a real slap in the face now. I ran into him mid-way through and mouthed off to him. Bit gullible, but a cool guy in the end. I owe him a lot."_

_"That was 10 years ago, wasn't it? I take it you were a fan of Sayaka's?"_

_"The biggest, number one fan."_

_"Wow, we're getting way more than we asked for… but Mina-chan, while we've got you going, what do you think about some of the more…negative opinions about your predecessor?"_

He knew what some people thought of Sayaka and what she did in the killing game. From one angle, he couldn't defend her actions, he certainly wouldn't approve them. But that wasn't her fault. Anyone who was forced to participate would understand just how terrible the killing school life was.

Makoto shoulders tensed; his throat constricts while waiting for Sakura's answer.

_"I only promised to answer one question, but I guess I can't run from this one. Fine, I'll keep it short: II didn't have the best head start growing up, but I'm here today, mainly because of one person. Sayaka Maizono. I met her for the first and only time after that concert. I told her I wanted to become an idol."_

_"How fearless. Like a letter of a challenge to the late Sayaka."_

_"It was, though I wasn't thinking that far ahead, being young and all. But I'm sure she must have …and you know what she said to me? __**'Never lose sight of your dream and chase it with everything you've got and more.'**__"_

_ 'That's definitely like her. I can't count how many times she told me. But for Sakura, it worked out for the best.'_

_"Then she asked if I had a special somebody in my life."_

"_Is there?"_ The announcer baits

**_"_****I**_ won't fall for that. But I think she must have felt that way about some guy, otherwise she wouldn't have made me think of that person whenever I doubted my morals. She told me to ask myself __**'Would they be proud of the person I'd become?"**_

His eyes widened, and his mouth parted open.

_"I don't give a damn about some twisted game that had to cheat Sayaka's efforts by erasing her memories. Sayaka is my inspiration, my hero. We clear on that?"_

_"Crystal! What a speech, as expected of Sayaka-chan."_

Makoto was speechless. Noteworthy, as he used to give speeches on these matters, as an envoy of the Future Foundation. "Would you look at that. It's like I'm the one who has to worry about losing to Sakura."

"Would you be proud of me now?" – Of course, she would be

Without doubting himself, he reached into his pockets and left the payment for his drink.

A man once told him that life was about memories. If that was true, then Makoto had surely lived. At times those memories would cause him great pain…and others, much like right now, he felt graced by the moments he would call the happiest in his life. He would cherish them forever.

However, right now he was still alive, and there were more memories to make.

"Thank you."

Those words weren't meant for any single person, but all those who carried him this far and those who still stood by him.

Makoto stood, grabbed his belongings and walked out of the establishment. The café was left barren, the only source of sound was from the television; broadcasting a recording of a blue-haired girl who'd brought smiles to millions, singing and dancing with everything she had.

On Makoto's table was a single cup of Rose hip tea and 5 quarters spread around it as payment.


End file.
